


In Your Children's Eyes

by BestDeadFriendsForever



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, NB JoJo, Single Dad Jack Kelly, Teacher Davey, Trans Male Character, single dad/teacher au, trans!race
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-04
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-02-22 17:19:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 87,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13171596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BestDeadFriendsForever/pseuds/BestDeadFriendsForever
Summary: Jack, 26(insert number here) miles away, Active 4 hours agoSingle dad of three: Benjamin (7), Elizabeth (5), and Atticus (5). New Yorker: Born and bred. Bisexual. Art therapist. Really bad at filling out dating profiles.I apologize in advance about my family (specifically siblings).





	1. First Day of School

            Jack hated the first day of school.

            It was always a scramble to make sure everyone had everything, that teeth had been brushed, hair had been combed, kids were fully dressed (preferably with matching socks), and they got pictures before anyone ran out the door.

            “Daddy, where are my socks?” Elizabeth asked, her auburn hair unbrushed and sticking up wildly.

            “I got ‘em, they go on last,” Jack said as he lifted her into a chair to eat her eggs.

            “Can I have a braid today?” She asked.

            “Don’t talk wit’ your mouth full,” Jack said as he grabbed a comb and started gently working the knots out of his daughter’s hair. “Boys! Breakfast is gettin’ cold!”

            Jack had to abandon Elizabeth’s hair when he heard a knock on the door. Race was standing there, his polaroid in hand, when Jack opened the door.

            “Mornin’s off ta a great start I can see,” Race snorted as he noted the chaos that was even more than usual at the Kelly household.

            “Yeah,” Jack said and went over to the bottom of the stairs. “Boys! Don’t make me come up there!”

            Atticus ran down the stairs and Jack let out a sigh of exasperation: Atticus had his pants on but no shirt.

            “Atti, what’re you doin’?” Jack asked.

            “I don’t wanna get my shirt dirty, so I’m gonna put it on _after_ breakfast,” Atticus said as he scrambled up into his chair to eat his cereal. Jack blinked as Race laughed, he couldn’t really argue with that.

            “Racer, would you-?”

            “I’ll make sure he’s gots a shirt on ‘fore he leaves,” Race said.

            Jack nodded and pushed a hand through his hair as he tucked the kids’ lunches into their respective backpacks.

            He looked over and saw that Benjy still wasn’t eating and he made a face as he headed into his oldest son’s room. “Benjamin Nathaniel Kelly,” Jack started but stopped when he saw Benjy, near tears, scrambling around his room looking for something.

            “I’m comin’, Dad. I just gotta find my tie!” He dove under his bed and Jack glanced around the room.

            “B, it’s right here,” Jack said calmly and picked up the bow tie from Benjy’s desk.

            He ran over and took it from Jack’s hands. He put it on with an instantly relieved look. “Thank you, Dad!”

            “Now, get downstairs.” Jack ruffled Benjy’s hair before his son darted off.

            Jack managed to get them all fed and get their pictures taken, by Race after he’d helped Atticus into his shirt, without much fuss (Elizabeth only slapped Benjy’s arm twice).

            “We’ll stick ‘em to the wall when I pick you up from school, we gots to go.” Jack gestured to the door where their shoes were standing ready for them.

            Jack helped the two younger ones tie their shoes. “Thanks, Race. I know ya didn’t have ta get up this early, but I ‘ppreciate it all the same.”

            “Any time, Cowboy.” Race winked and lifted Atticus up with a grin. “Now be good for your dad, yeah?”

            “I will, Uncle Race.” Atticus hugged Race tightly and Jack smiled. “Honest.”

            “Good,” Race said and ruffled Atti’s hair before setting him down and fixing Atticus’s jacket.

            “I know I’s said it before,” Jack said with a grin as he lifted Lilabet onto his hip, “but you’d make a pretty good dad yourself.”

            Race shook his head. “You’s crazy, Cowboy.”

            “Whatever you say, Race.” Jack laughed and herded the kids toward the car. “Thanks again though!”

            The car ride was short and Jack was glad when he’d parked. “Alright. B, I’m gonna take the twins to their class.”

            “Why do they get to have you walk them to class?” Benjy asked, his voice cracking with indignation.

            “Because, they’s never been ta school before. C’mon, Benjy. Don’t make this hard on me.” Jack turned to look at his oldest boy. Benjy just nodded sulkily. “Thank you, champ.” He pressed a kiss to Benjy’s head and smiled at him. “Let’s get goin’.”

            He walked the kids across the parking lot carefully and ushered them inside. Jack pressed another kiss to the top of Benjy’s head and tilted his chin up. “You learn somethin’, alright? Get smart for your old man?”

            “Yeah,” Benjy said and hugged Jack tightly before heading off to his classroom.

            Jack watched him for a moment before he ushered Atticus and Elizabeth toward their classroom. “Now, you two have got to be good, alright?” Jack gave them stern looks. “No fightin’, and I’ll pick you up at the end of the day.”

            Atticus nodded, his eyes filling up with tears already, but Elizabeth sighed before nodding as well.

            “C’mon, Atti, don’t cry. Yous’re gonna have so much fun,” Jack said brightly as he crouched to be level with his son. “Think about how excited yous were about comin’, you heard all about it from Benjy. Doncha remember?”

            Atti nodded and swiped at his eyes. “But what if the other kids don’t like me? Or make fun of me?”

            “Bud, I won’t let that happen,” Jack said seriously. “You’re gonna have Lilabet with you the whole time. She’s got your back, Atticus.”

            “Yeah, Atti, I gots your back,” Lilabet chimed in with a toothy grin. Atticus smiled a little at that but once they were outside the classroom door Atticus burst into a fresh wave of tears. Jack picked him up and kissed Lilabet before she darted off to pick out a spot next to the other kids on the carpet.

            “I know, bud,” Jack said and rubbed soothing circles into Atticus’s back. “But you’re gonna have so much fun you ain’t even gonna know I’m gone ‘til I come back and getcha.” Atticus clung onto Jack tighter when Jack tried to put him down. “C’mon, now. Look at me.” Jack gently pried Atticus’s fingers from his jacket and settled the boy on his feet. “I’m gonna talk wit your teacher and then I’ve gotta go and help Yaya. Bud, I promise, you’s gonna be fine.”

            “Promise?” Atticus asked and rubbed his eyes.

            “Cross my heart,” Jack said solemnly and pressed a smacking kiss to Atticus’s cheek before walking him inside. Atticus was a little more tentative when he settled with the other children but Jack just smiled encouragingly at him when he glanced at Jack.

            “Mr. Kelly, pleasure to see you again,” Mr. Meyers, Mush, said.

            “Same to you, Mr. Meyers. I just wondered if you had a minute, I wanted ta talk to ya about Atticus,” Jack said and nodded toward where his son was talking quietly with his sister and another girl.

            “Of course,” Mush nodded, his face serious.

            “I just wanna make sure that Atticus ain’t gonna have to deal with any of the other kids buggin’ ‘im about… about bein’ different.” Jack rubbed the back of his neck. “I just want his pronouns and stuff ta be respected.”

            Mush blinked and then smiled. “I’ll make sure of it, Mr. Kelly.”

            “Thanks,” Jack said and felt the knot in his chest loosen. He tucked his hands into his pockets so he could fiddle with the change there as he walked out. He waved one last time at Lilabet and Atticus before he left to head into work.

…..

            Jack checked on where Freckles and Buttons were painting on the large sheet of butcher paper. He nodded encouragingly before glancing at the clock. His heart sank into his stomach. It was five ‘til three and he was supposed to have picked the kids up at two-fifty.

            Jack walked out of the room and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He thumbed through his contacts until he found what he was looking for. He tapped the call button and pressed the phone to his ear.

            “Hello?”

            “Hey, Sarah,” Jack said and pinched the bridge of his nose, “I know this is totally not cool-”

            “What do you need, Jack?” Sarah asked and Jack could hear her smile.

            “Can you bring the kids to the office? I’ve still got a group and Crutchie just left.” Jack bit his lip.

            “Of course, Jack. I’ll got get them now. So, when are you going to let me set you up on a date?” Sarah asked.

            Jack scoffed. “I don’t have time to pick my kids up from school, what makes you think I got time to date? ‘Sides, I don’t think I wanna have some stranger around my kids and you _know_ they’ve got to be okay with my kids.”

            “I know,” Sarah said. “But I’ve got the perfect guy for you! My brother-”

            “Sarah, I love ya, but I’m not datin’ your brother.”

            “Ugh, fine. The pair of you will die lonely old men,” Sarah teased. “I’m about to get French Fry and Tater Tot from Mr. Meyers. See ya in a few.”

            “Thanks, Sarah.” Jack grinned and hung up. He went back inside and he had to rush over to stop Freckles from dumping a bucket of green paint over Buttons’s head. “C’mon Freckles, we’ve talked about this.”

…..

            “Head up to Yaya’s studio,” Jack said and tapped each of his children gently on the head. “I think Yaya is up there but if she ain’t, Uncle Race is. Tell ‘im I said to keep an eye on yous.” Jack smiled as the kids sprinted up the steps to the dance studio where Medda and Race worked. He turned to Sarah with a relieved slump to his shoulders. “Thank you, Sarah. I know I shouldn’t’ve-”

            “It’s alright to ask for help every now and then, Jack. You’re a single dad. No biggie.” Sarah smiled and got on her toes to press a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll see you on Sunday?”

            “I’ll see ya then,” Jack said. He headed into his studio to finish cleaning up the paint mess before he wiped his hands on his jeans, leaving paint streaks along his thighs, and headed upstairs into the dance studio. He heard _Ballet-des-Arts_ blasting before he’d even stepped inside. He leaned against the doorframe and watched as Lilabet and Atticus did pliés and pirouettes while Race did his usual routine that he did when Medda brought in sponsors for their summer clinics. Race stopped and looked to Benjy who was wearing a pair of borrowed ballet shoes. Benjy furrowed his brow in determination before trying to mimic Race. It was sloppy and not nearly as smooth, but it was good. Jack beamed and clapped which made Benjy jump and turn to stare owlishly at his father.

“Looked really good, B,” Jack said and smiled as Benjy flushed. “Alright, Race. I’m gonna have to steal my kids back from you.”

            “Awww, but Daddy!” Atticus protested and immediately koala-ed himself around Race’s leg. “Can’t Uncle Race come home with us? Just for tonight?”

            Jack heard a snort from behind him and he glanced over his shoulder to see Spot.

            “Sorry, Squirt. Uncle Race is comin’ home wit me.” Spot had the beginnings of a smile tugging at his mouth. “That is, if he ever gets ‘is butt movin’.”

            “Get your butt movin’, Uncle Race!” Lilabet laughed.

            Race put on a mock offended face. “Yous’re wantin’ to get _rid of me_?”

            “No!!!” Atticus cried out dramatically as he clung tighter to Race’s sweats. Jack made a mental note to tell Kath not to let him watch _Star Wars_ on repeat all weekend. Again.

            “Yes!!!” Jack said just as dramatically as he moved to kneel down and help Benjy get his sneakers back on. “C’mon, Bud. Let Uncle Race go, give hugs and kisses, and then we’re headed home too.”

            Atticus pouted but let go (much to Race’s relief since his pants had slowly been slipping off due to being weighed down by Atticus’s clinging). He held his arms up and Race scooped him up to pepper kisses along Atticus’s cheeks. He set the boy down with a quiet word in his ear before Atticus ran off to jump into Spot’s waiting arms. Lilabet and Benjy both made their rounds and picked up their school bags before they all started to head to the car.

            Medda stepped out of her office and smiled at the kids. “Goin’ already?” She asked.

            “Daddy said we had to, Yaya,” Lilabet said.

            Medda checked her watch and nodded. “I’m afraid your daddy’s right, baby. He needs to get you little ones into bed. Now come give Yaya a hug and kiss before you go.” The three of them did with huge smiles on their faces.

            “I’ll see you tomorrow, Mama,” Jack said before kissing Medda’s cheek.

            “Tomorrow,” Medda confirmed.

…..

            Jack was glad to have a breather as the kids brushed their teeth and changed into pajamas. They’d all been fed and had baths so until they called for him to tuck them in (which knowing his children could take a while) he had a moment to sit.

_From: Baby Mama :)_

_I’m picking the kids up tomorrow at 10, right?_

_To: Baby Mama :)_

_Yup. I’ll have given them breakfast and they’ll have bags all packed. Promise._

_From: Baby Mama :)_

_Sarah told me about what happened. What the hell, Jack?_

_To: Baby Mama :)_

_It won’t happen again, Kath. Promise. I just needed a hand. My class ran over and I can’t leave my therapy babies. I’ll make sure to figure something else out._

_From: Baby Mama :)_

_… I guess it’s okay since she works at their school. Just don’t make a habit of it please. You know how my dad will look at it._

            Jack didn’t get a chance to respond because Benjy was hollering that they were all ready. Jack stood, leaving his phone on the couch, and made his way down the hall. “How was your first day?” Jack asked as he tucked Benjy in.

            “Good. I forgot how long school was,” Benjy lamented and sank into his pillows.

            “I know it’s long, but it’s worth it. Gotta get smart. Right, B?”

            “I’m already smart, but if you say so.” Benjy was smiling so Jack knew he was just being a goofball.

            “Yes, you are. Now go to sleep, Einstein. I love ya.” Jack kissed Benjy’s forehead and then stood. He flicked on Benjy’s nightlight before turning off the overhead light.

            He walked across the hall to the room the twins shared and poked his head in. “All ready to be tucked in?”

            They both nodded from their respective beds. Atticus had his dinosaur stuffy tucked under his chin and Lilabet was snuggled up to her hedgehog pillow. Jack tucked Lilabet in and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “You have fun today?” She nodded and started talking about some of the people that were in her class. Atticus’s frown deepened the longer she talked. “What’s wrong, Atti?” Jack asked as he moved over to tuck Atticus in and shift his dragon stuffy.

            “Daddy, it was _not_ fun. There was a boy, his name is Derek, and he…” Atticus’s face screwed up in disgust as he wiggled closer to whisper, “ _ATE_ glue!” Atticus was so scandalized, and Jack had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.

            “I’m sure he ain’t gonna do that _every_ day, Bud.” Jack kissed Atticus’s forehead. “I’m sure you’ll have more fun once yous get adjusted. Promise to try?”

            “I promise,” Atticus said but he looked skeptical.

            “Thank you, Atti. Alright, bedtime for the two of yous.” Jack stood and he turned the light off. “I love yous,” he whispered. He smiled as he left the door open a crack and headed down the hall to finish cleaning up dinner plates. He heard his cell ringing and he moved to grab it from the couch, wiping the water off his hands onto his jeans.

            He noted it was Race before he answered it. “Hey, Racer. What’s up?”

            “Why’m I gettin’ calls from your baby mama’s wife about your sex life?”

            Jack blinked. “What sex life?”

            “EXACTLY!!!” Jack winced as he held the phone away from his ear for a moment. “When’s the last time you got laid, Kelly?”

            Jack squirmed. “Probably not long after Kath found out she was pregnant with the twins. Wait… why the hell’re we talkin’ about this?”

            “I think if I were you… I’d be dead. Dead from blu-”

            “Racetrack Higgins!” Jack hissed into the phone. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

            “Kath’s married now, what’s holdin’ you back? Sarah told me she’s tried to set your dumb ass up on a coupla dates but you keep sayin’ no. The hell?” Race demanded.

            “Me and Kath don’t have nothin’ to do with this. We’ve been just friends for a while, and I’ve always been okay with that. So it ain’t that.” Jack shrugged even though he knew Race couldn’t see it. “I just… I got three kids, Race. No one wants to date a guy with three kids and no free time or privacy.”

            There was a long moment of silence.

            “Just give this guy of Sarah’s a try. You’re 26, not dead.”

            “If I agree will you leave me alone?” Jack asked.

            “Definitely.”

            “Then fine. If in a month I can’t find anyone else, I will go on a date with Sarah’s brother,” Jack said defeatedly.

            “You know we’re gonna spit-shake on it when we see each other tomorrow,” Race said.

            “That’s just the price of doin’ business.”

            “You’s damn right.”


	2. Family Tree Project

                “DADDY!!! WHAT DO I MARK JOJO AS!?!?!”

            “Why’re you shoutin’, ‘m right here, B.” Jack shook his head before he moved over to look at Benjy’s project. He’d been assigned a family tree, and things were proving difficult. “Put Jojo down as… well, Jojo is just Jojo. They’re your Aunt Smalls’s partner.”

            “Can I put ‘em down as My JoJo?” Benjy asked.

            “I think they’d like that, B,” Jack grinned and ruffled his son’s hair before moving over to where Atticus and Lilabet were tracing their letters. “Yous two good?”

            They both nodded, their eyes never leaving their papers. He smiled at them before he moved to settle down next to Benjy.

            “Daddy, will you draw my pictures for me?” Benjy asked.

            “Nope, sorry kiddo. ‘M just on scissor duty for this one,” Jack said and moved to cut out some squares for Benjy to draw everyone on.

…..

            “Get your stuff!!” Jack shouted up the stairs. He’d gotten a text from Sarah and Katherine saying they were on their way up. He answered the door when he heard a knock and smiled at the girls before gesturing them in. “C’mon in. They’s just gettin’ their stuff.”

            “No rush,” Katherine said and stepped inside. “How’re things?”

            “Fine,” Jack said and tucked his hands into his back pockets. “Benjy’s got a family tree project he needs to finish before Monday, don’t let ‘im weasel out of it, and the twins need to practice tying their shoes.”

            “Got it,” Katherine said and nodded.

            “And I’d prefer if Benjy did the majority of his project on his own. Just help ‘im with the cuttin’ and gluin’.” Jack gave Katherine a look. He knew Katherine had a tendency to want to perfect everything, even when it came to the kids’ stuff.

            “Alright, hands-off Mama this time. Got it,” Katherine laughed.

            “You know what I mean.”

            “I’ll keep her in check, Jack,” Sarah said and smiled at Katherine.

            “I knew there was a reason I liked her,” Jack grinned. He looked over when the kids came thundering down the stairs. “Careful!” Jack warned as Benjy and Lilabet shoved at each other and Atticus nearly slipped. Jack moved over and separated Benjy and Lilabet with a stern look. “Yous two done?” Jack asked.

            “Yes, Daddy,” Benjy said and ducked his head.

            “Alright,” Lilabet said and looked down at her socked feet.

            “No horsin’ around on the stairs. Yous’re gonna slip and hurt yourselves. So no more. Did I make myself clear?”

            “Yes,” they said in unison.

            “Alright, c’mon. Hugs and kisses and then you’re headin’ out with Mama and Sarah.” Jack crouched down and they all dived into his arms and pressed smacking kisses to his cheeks. “Be good for your mama.” Jack smiled as they picked up backpacks with their homework and clothes in them.

            “Bye!” They all chimed and waved as Katherine walked them out the door. Jack felt his smile slip a little once they were gone from his sight.

            “You know, I could set up a date for this weekend,” Sarah said with a hint of teasing. “I know you don’t like to be alone…”

            “I’m fine,” Jack said and stood, brushing off the knees of his pants. “And give me some time. I told Racer a month to find someone before I let you set me up.” Sarah nodded understandingly.

            “See you Sunday, Jack.” Sarah waved.

            “See ya.” He nodded and waved as she walked out. He watched the door click shut and he stood there for a long moment, just staring at the door, before he moved to get ready for work.

            He was slightly distracted as he set up the room for his patients. He set out paper and canvas and was setting out the cups of brushes when he heard someone coming in. He turned and smiled at Medda. “Hey, Mama.”

            “Mornin’, Jack,” Medda said and pressed a kiss to Jack’s cheek. “How you holdin’ up? I know it’s your swap day.”

            “’M fine.” Jack shrugged. “I just never get used to the house bein’ so quiet, even though it’s only for a coupla days.” Jack shook his head.

            “You love those babies and there’s nothing wrong with that, Jack,” Medda said and gave his arm a gentle squeeze. “I’d say that you can use this time to do things you can’t when you’ve got the kids around.”

            “Don’t tell me that Sarah and Race have pulled you into Operation: Get Me A Date.” Jack narrowed his eyes at his adoptive mother.

            “Not quite,” Medda said. “But I hate the thought of you being lonely, Jack.”

            “’M not lonely, Mama. I’ve got three kids to keep me company,” Jack said and put on a smile that he wasn’t entirely convinced he felt.

            “You know what I mean.”

            “Yes, I do. And I have told Sarah _and_ Race that I’m gonna work on it,” Jack said. “So, no meddlin’. Please, Mama.” Jack leveled her with a look and she held her hands up in defeat. “Now can I prep for my patients in peace?”

            “Alright,” Medda said and pat his back.

…..

            “Hey!” Jack shouted as he stormed over to where Hot Shot and Willie were wrestling around on the floor. “Break it up!!” Jack yanked the two boys to their feet and held them at arms-length away from each other. “What’re yous thinkin’?”

            “He bumped me!” Hot Shot shouted and went to lunge for Willie again but Jack shaking him made him cool down.

            “Willie, what do you got to say ta that?” Jack asked and slowly loosened his grip on the boys’ shirts.

            “It was an accident! I was focused on tryin’ not to spill nothin’!” Willie glared at Hot Shot. “Then he just fuckin’ shoved me and so I took a swing ‘cause I ain’t puttin’ up wit that shit!”

            “Language,” Jack said sternly.

            “Sorry, Dr. Kelly,” Willie bit out.

            Jack nodded and let his hands drop from the boys’ shoulders. “Now, you twos are gonna clean up the mess you made,” Jack said and gestured to the overturned paint cans, “and then yous’re gonna work on a group project. I want it finished by the end of your next session with me. Understood?” The two boys glared at each other. “Or I could tell your social workers that yous’re bein’ uncooperative.”

            “Fine,” they both bit out and stared at their shoes.

            “That’s more like it,” Jack said and wiped the paint off his hands and onto his jeans. “Get to it, boys.” Jack clapped his hands and some of the kids looked up, startled at the noise. “Sorry, Sniper, Tommy Boy.” The boys settled at seeing it was just Jack.

            Jack supervised the clean-up, and after that only had to break up a shouting match between the twins, Mike and Ike. They moved away from each other but eventually they were brought back to each other’s side. Jack smiled as he moved over to his desk to start filling out paperwork for the kids’ progress. He was filling out forms when Willie walked up to his desk. “Dr. Kelly, can I ask you something?”

            “What’s up, Willie?” Jack asked and tucked his pen behind his ear.

            “Do I really gotta work with Hot Shot?”

            “Yeah, ya do,” Jack said.

            “Fine,” Willie huffed and moved over to continue working.

…..

            Jack smiled as Atticus jumped up into his arms. Jack swung him around, pressing kisses to Atticus’s cheeks. He crouched when Lilabet and Benjy thundered in so he could hug them just as tightly.

            “Daddy, I finished my project!” Benjy said excitedly. He held out a rolled up piece of posterboard and bounced excitedly.

            “That’s great, B. We’ll look at it before dinner. Let me talk to Mama.” Jack kissed Benjy’s head and then sent the kids upstairs to unpack and settle.

            “How’d it go?” Jack asked Katherine.

            “It went alright. They had fun and no one died so…” Katherine smiled and Jack nodded.

            “That’s always a win with our kids.” Jack pushed a hand through his hair. “So how’re you? It’s been a while since we got a chance to talk.”

            “I’m good. It’s always nice when me and Sarah have the kids. Stressful, but good.” Katherine tucked her hair behind her ear.

            “Your dad didn’t harass you too bad?” Jack asked.

            Katherine let out a strained laugh. “Oh no, he did. He’s still horribly disappointed in me for letting his grandchildren be raised by a plebeian.” She snorted and rolled her eyes. “And everything about Atticus.” She shook her head.

            “Don’t let him bother you,” Jack said and bumped her shoulder with his.

            Katherine nodded. “You know, while I love Sarah very much and even though I’m not super involved with the kids, I don’t regret us, or them.”

            “I know,” Jack said and smiled at her. “He’ll let up eventually.”

            “Maybe,” she said and shook her head. “But my dad is my problem. Unless you don’t want the kids around him anymore, then that’s on you.”

            “It’s fine. I just don’t want him to upset them and they’ve never said nothin’ so… for now.” Jack rubbed the back of his neck. Katherine’s father had always been a sore spot for the two of them so he tried to avoid it if it could.

            “I’ll leave you to get them settled. See you next Friday,” Katherine said and pressed a kiss to Jack’s cheek.

            “I remember.” Jack waved her off. She laughed as she left just as the kids were thundering down the stairs. Jack turned to look at the them sternly. “How many times have I got to tell yous? No runnin’ in the house.”

            “I just wanted to show you my project,” Benjy whined as Lilabet and Atticus moved to go and pull out a puzzle to play with.

            “Alright, but no runnin’. Rules is rules.” Jack moved to the table so Benjy could unroll his project. Benjy unrolled it and put the salt and pepper shakers on the left and right side.

            “Ta-da!” Benjy said and splayed his hands on the poster. “I started with your side. That’s Grampa and Gramma Kelly.” He pointed to Francis and Elizabeth and the drawing that was obviously a child’s version of the picture on the mantle. “Then I added Yaya.” Benjy smiled as he pointed to the drawing of Medda. “There’s Uncle Spot, Uncle Crutchie, Aunt Smalls, and Uncle Albert.” Jack traced that line that connected him and his adoptive brothers to their mother. “I connected Uncle Spot and Uncle Race even though they ain’t married. Yet.” Benjy grinned and Jack laughed. “Then, there’s JoJo connected to Aunt Smalls.”

            “It looks great, Benjy. Now tell me about Mama’s side,” Jack smiled and brushed back his son’s hair.

            “Well, it starts with Grandpa Joseph and Grandma Katherine.” He pointed but quickly moved on. “Then we’ve got Mama, Uncle Ralph, Aunt Edith, Aunt Constance, Uncle Joe, Aunt Lucille, and Uncle Herbie. And I put Ima Sarah next to Mama.”

            “I think it’s amazing, Benjy. You got everybody on here, even your brother and sister.” Jack smiled and traced his fingers over the crayon drawing of their family. “But now, I want you to put this into your backpack so that I can set the table.”

            “Yes, Daddy.” Benjy moved the shakers and rolled his poster up.

…..

            “Come on kiddos! We’s gonna be late!” Jack shook his head as he jammed lunches into backpacks and made sure that Benjy’s project was nestled safely in his backpack. The kids came down the stairs and had quick bowls of cereal. Jack ushered them all toward the car and buckled them up. He was thankful that traffic wasn’t as monstrous as it could have been, but it was still a morning in Manhattan. Jack parked and walked the kids to the door. “Be good and learn somethin’.” Jack kissed the top of their heads and then let them go so they could head inside.

            Jack smiled as he watched them head toward their classrooms. He waited until he couldn’t see them before heading back to his car.

            When he got to work he was greeted with Medda with a stack of folders. “Already?” Jack asked and wrinkled his nose at the evaluations.

            “’Fraid so, my love. Especially since you don’t have a class until later. Get to it. They’re boring but we all have to do it.” Medda handed them over and Jack nodded resolutely.

            “I’m on it,” Jack said and tucked them under his arm easily.

            It was mind numbing work, but Jack had to fill out monthly evaluations of the kids he worked with to tell the various agencies that their therapy was actually doing something and that they should continue with the work. He chewed his pen as he worked. It was silly that it was all checking boxes and making minute comments here and there as he did. He felt a wash of relief when his office phone rang.

            “Dr. James S. Kelly, what can I do for ya?” Jack asked and cradled the phone between his cheek and his shoulder.

…..

            Jack tapped his fingers on his thigh as he waited for the school bell to ring. He was early. He heard the bell ring and he opened his door so he could slip out. He stood at the doors with a group of other parents waiting for their children.

            Benjy came out first but Jack could tell immediately that something was wrong. His head was down and he had his hands in his pockets. Jack opened his mouth to ask Benjy what was wrong, but Lilabet and Atticus came outside and sprinted toward him.

            Jack was swept up in their excited chatter as he moved them along toward the car. He didn’t get a chance to talk to Benjy until he’d gotten the twins set up on their homework.

            “Hey, B! Can you c’mere?” Jack called over his shoulder. Benjy came in and pulled himself onto the counter where Jack was slicing up carrots for the kids’ snack. “What was eatin’ you when you came outta school? Looked real down.”

            “You gotta promise not to be mad,” Benjy said and looked down at his feet.

            “I can’t promise that, but I’ll try,” Jack said and looked at Benjy, setting aside what he was doing to look at his son.

            Benjy pulled a folded up piece of paper from his pocket and held it out to Jack.

            “What’s this?” Jack asked and took the note. He could clearly see Mr. Kelly written on it in spindly but neat handwriting.

            “It’s from my teacher. I think… I think I’m in trouble, but I don’t know what I did.” Benjy’s voice cracked and Jack nodded before he unfolded the note.

_Mr. Kelly,_

_This is Mr. Jacobs, Benjamin’s teacher. I assigned a family tree as a project and I’m concerned with your son’s work. I’d like to have conference with you and Benjamin on Friday after school to discuss it._

_Thank you._

_Mr. Jacobs_

            Jack scanned over the note again. “Benjy, you’s not in trouble. Your teacher just wants to meet with me to talk about your project. It’s alright.” Jack looked up to see tears glittering in his son’s eyes and he set the note on the counter so he could lift his son. “Nobody’s mad, champ. I promise.” Jack kissed his temple.

            “Okay,” Benjy said and it was muffled against Jack’s chest.

            “Alright. Here, take these out to the table and do your homework. You’s alright.” He set Benjy down and held out the plate with the carrots and celery on them.

            Jack frowned once Benjy left and reread the note. He hadn’t thought that there was anything wrong with Benjy’s project. In fact, Jack had thought it was a damn good one for a second grader to turn out. Jack shook his head and folded up the note, tucking it into his pocket. He’d just have to see about all this on Friday.

…..

            Friday came all too quickly and Jack was fidgety the whole day. He ended up getting paint flicked on him by one of the younger boys so his white t-shirt was spotted and stained with red and blue paint, and then he’d been absently rubbing his paint-smeared hands on his pants and streaking the black denim with even more colors.

            He was cursing to himself as he scrubbed the paints off his arms and hands. He’d gotten Crutchie to cover the tail end of his class.

            “You’s goin’ like that, Jack?” Crutchie asked and gestured to Jack’s clothes.

            “I ain’t got anythin’ else, Crutch!” Jack shot over his shoulder as he grabbed his work bag and walked out. He threw on his overshirt and then drove toward the school. He hated how he was getting the side-eye from other parents and teachers as he walked down to Mush’s classroom to pick up Atticus and Lilabet. The bell had just rung and he’d gone ahead and asked for their teacher to keep them back so he could pick them up there on the way to Benjy’s classroom. “Thank you, Mush. I really appreciate it.”

            “No problem, Mr. Kelly. They were fine,” Mush said and nodded to where both of his children were reading in a corner of the room. Jack smiled.

            “C’mon, kiddos.” Jack waved them over and they tucked their books away hastily before running over, grabbing their backpacks on the way. Jack picked Atticus up when Atticus held out his arms. Lilabet held onto the tail of Jack’s shirt as they made their way down the hall to Benjy’s classroom.

            Jack walked in and he immediately started apologizing. “I’m so sorry for the way I look, work was crazy and… I… uh…” Jack faltered. Mr. Jacobs had just looked up from where he and Benjy had been looking at Benjy’s project. That was _definitely_ not what he’d been expecting. He’d been expecting an older man but what he’d gotten was a young, _VERY HOT_ , man that was almost exactly Jack’s type.

            “No worries,” Mr. Jacobs said with a genuinely understanding smile. “Come on in, Mr. Kelly.”

            Jack nodded and stepped further into the room, shifting Atticus in his arms. Atticus was playing with Jack’s collar and when he turned and saw Mr. Jacobs he immediately dove to bury his face in Jack’s neck.

            “These two must be Atticus and Elizabeth. Benjamin talks about them all the time in class, even though it’s only been two weeks.” Mr. Jacobs smiled and tilted his head to try and catch Atticus’s eye.

            “Say, hi to Mr. Jacobs, Atticus,” Jack said but Atticus just resolutely buried his face further in Jack’s shoulder. “Hey, don’t be like that, Squirt.” Jack poked at Atticus’s side and tried to lean back to look at his son, but Mr. Jacobs just waved his hand.

            “He’s shy… I deal with shy kids all the time. It’s best just to leave them to themselves. Why don’t we sit, Mr. Kelly?”

            “Jack, please,” Jack said and moved to where there were chairs set up next to Benjy’s project on the table.

            “Atticus, Elizbeth, we have a reading area with lots of books. You can pick out whatever you like and read it while me, your dad, and your brother talk. How’s that sound?” Mr. Jacobs peeked around Jack to look at Lilabet where she was still holding onto Jack’s shirt.

            “Mr. Jacobs has the _best_ books!” Benjy interjected.

            Atticus perked up at that. “Do you have dinosaur books?” Atticus asked, blinking slowly at his brother’s teacher.

            “I’ve got whole _stacks_ of dinosaur books,” the teacher stage-whispered conspiratorily.

            “Daddy!” Atticus tugged on Jack’s shirt excitedly. “Dinosaurs!”

            “Well, go on then and read ‘em.” Jack laughed and set Atticus down. He grabbed Lilabet’s hand and the two of them went over to pick out some books.

            Mr. Jacobs had a light smile as he settled into a chair and nodded for Benjy and Jack to do the same. Jack felt some of the irritation that he’d felt when he first read the note flood back. Pretty face or no, Jack was on Benjy’s side this time.

            “So,” Mr. Jacobs said and folded his hands. “I called you here because I want to talk about Benjy’s family tree.”

            “What about it?” Jack asked and looked at it again. It looked the same as it had when Jack had last seen it.

            “Well,” Mr. Jacobs said with a frown. “Some of the names of Benjy’s relatives don’t seem to add up. And he’s written that you have three parents. I understand that children’s imaginations can run wild sometimes but-”

            “I ain’t lying!” Benjy protested with a scowl.

            “Isn’t, not ain’t,” Mr. Jacobs corrected patiently. “And I didn’t say you lied. At least not yet.”

            “Now wait one second,” Jack scowled, matching his son. “Benjy ain’t lyin’. Granted, my brothers and sister aren’t _actually_ named what’s written there, but that’s what the kids know them as. And yes, I do, technically, have three parents. I’ve got my birth mother and father: Francis and Elizabeth Kelly, but then I have my adoptive mother: Medda Larkin. She adopted me and my three brothers and my sister.” Mr. Jacobs looked at him for a moment. “I know it sounds a lil’ dumb to be grown adults and still goin’ by our nicknames that we had as kids but…” Jack shrugged.

            Jack shifted and pointed to Spot and Race. “That’s my brother, Patrick, and his boyfriend, Anthony.” Jack pointed to Crutchie’s name and picture. “That’s my brother, Charlie. My sister, Ava and her partner, who’s nonbinary hence no gendered precursor, JoJo. My brother Albert is actually named Albert so.” Jack looked at Mr. Jacobs and felt his neck get hot. “I… I’m sorry. I’m sure that was way more information than you wanted but-”

            “No, Mr. Kelly-”

            “Jack, please,” Jack interjected.

            Mr. Jacobs smiled. “Jack, I’m the one that should be apologizing. I made an assumption based on little to no prior facts. So, I’m sorry, Jack, Benjamin.” Mr. Jacobs looked at Benjy. “I will grade your project and hang it in the hallway with the others. I hope you can forgive me.”

            Benjy nodded and smiled shyly at Mr. Jacobs. “Yeah. I get it. My family’s weird.”

            Mr. Jacobs laughed and Jack felt his stomach twist up into a knot. He was extremely pretty and his laugh was really nice. “Well, I don’t know what to say to that so I think we can just leave it there.”

            “Alright,” Jack said and he stood. He stuck out his hand for Mr. Jacobs to shake. “Thank you, Mr. Jacobs.”

            “David, please.” Mr. Jacobs shook Jack’s hand.

            “Thank you, Davey.” Jack dropped Davey’s hand and pushed his hair back from his eyes. “Hopefully we’ll be able to see each other under better circumstances.” He looked Davey up and down and smiled at him. He noticed the pink that bloomed across Davey’s ears.

            “Hopefully,” Mr. Jacobs said and ducked his head.

…..

            Jack smiled to himself as he scrubbed the dinner dishes. The kids were in bed and he had some time to himself before he was heading to bed. He was thinking about Davey. He nearly dropped a plate when he realized that that was what he was thinking about. “The hell’re you doin’, Kelly?”

            Jack shook his head and sighed. He couldn’t be thinking about his son’s teacher like that. It’d be weird. It’d be stupid. It’d be… the exact kind of thing Jack Kelly would do.

            Shit.


	3. Field Trip

            Jack looked over the form again. Then he glanced at his pouting seven year-old. “Benjy, you’ve been ta Central Park before.”

            “Yeah but I’ll get to skip school to go!” Benjy said and bounced on his feet. “And it’ll be practically all day!! Please, Daddy!”

            “I dunno, B. I don’t know how I feel ‘bout you bein’ there during the day with just Mr. Jacobs lookin’ afta ya all.” Jack frowned.

            “But it says you can go too!” Benjy jumped into a chair and pointed at that section of the permission slip.

            “Lemme think ‘bout it, B. I’ll call your Mama and Ima Sarah and we’ll talk about it.”

            “But, Daddy!” Benjy protested.

            “That’s my decision. Unless you want a definite no right now.” Benjy frowned and shook his head. “That’s what I thought, now go get your brother and sister and set the table for your old man.”

            “Okay,” Benjy muttered.

            “Thank you,” Jack said and kissed the top of Benjy’s head as he passed. He glanced at the offending field trip form and sighed. He knew that if he said no Benjy was going to be upset with him, but he did have his reservations.

…..

            “Just let him go, Jack,” Katherine said through the phone. Jack scowled into the receiver.

            “But-”

            “I think what Kath is trying to say is,” Sarah cut in diplomatically, “that if you’re really concerned you can chaperone. He’s seven years old, Jack. And it’s just a school field trip.”

            “Into the heart of the city on an understaffed field trip,” Jack muttered. “I just don’t want nothin’ ta happen.”

            “And if you go, I don’t think anything will,” Sarah said. “That is if Kath agrees.”

            “I do. Honestly, I think you going with him is even a bit much, but if it’ll make you feel more comfortable to go then go with him. But let him go, Jack.”

            “That’s yous final word on it?” Jack asked.

            “That’s our final word,” Kath confirmed and Sarah hummed in the affirmative as well.

            “Alright. I’ll let ‘im go,” Jack said and moved to sign Benjy’s form and put it into the folder in his backpack. He zipped up Benjy’s backpack and took a breath. He could do this. It was a field trip and Benjy would be fine because he was going to be there.

            The next morning, once the kids were off at school, Jack went into Medda’s office between classes. “Hey, Mama. I’m gonna need the nineteenth off. Benjy’s got a school trip that day and I agreed to chaperone.”

            “Of course, I’ll just change your days off and send out an email to your patients for that day,” Medda said with a smile.

            “Thanks, I really ‘ppreciate it.” Jack went into the studio to start setting up for his younger class. He was sorting through assignments and paint cans when he realized that signing up to chaperone meant that he was going to be around Mr. Jacobs, around Davey, for a full day. His stomach lurched at the thought and he felt his ears burn.

            He knew that it was probably stupid to have a crush on his son’s teacher, but Davey was attractive and patient and nice. He was obviously good with kids. Jack shook his head. There was no way he was going to let himself go down that line of thought.

            Besides, he had already told Race and Sarah when his month ended and Sarah had tried to set up that date, that he was too busy for a relationship. That was true. He had his kids to think about in this too.

            No, for now he’d keep his dumb crush to himself and that was that.

…..

            Jack was focused as he made sure that the kids’ name tags were secure and wouldn’t fall off while they were running around the park. He smiled as he messed up Benjy’s hair and then clipped his own tag to the hem of his shirt so it was easier for the kids to read if they needed him.

            “Alright!” Jack turned to see Mr. Jacobs, dressed casually in the class t-shirt that matched all the kids, with a grin on his face. “I know you all wanna go and play, but first I want you to make your leaf impressions or press a flower in your science journals like I showed you. Once you’re done, bring your journal to either me, Mr. Kelly, or Ms. Williams; then you can go play!”

            The kids shouted and took off to explore inside the parameters set by Mr. Jacobs before they started passing out name tags.

            Jack laughed as Benjy grabbed his hand and tugged him along to help his group. Jack crouched down and listened as the kids (Benjy, Emma, Liam, and Noah) talked about what they wanted to do for their science journal.

            “Well,” Benjy said and puffed himself up with a grin, “my dad’s a doctor so he can help!”

            “Not _that_ kinda doctor, B,” Jack laughed. “I can still help though.” He bumped his shoulder into Benjy’s when Benjy seemed upset at the correction.

            They gathered some different kinds of leaves and pressed flowers. Jack took the journals from the kids when they scrambled over to him. He watched them dart off to play tag.

            He stood and nearly jumped when he noticed Mr. Jacobs standing not far off.

            “So I should have been calling you Dr. Kelly this whole time?” He asked. Jack could hear the amusement in his voice and it made Jack’s heart flutter in his chest.

            “It don’t make much of a difference,” Jack shrugged.  “I got a doctorate, that don’t really make me a doctor. Not the kind that matter.”

            “What’s it in?” Mr. Jacobs asked.

            “Art therapy.”

            “Well, I wouldn’t sell yourself short like that. Art therapy, in my humble opinion, is just as important as clinical medicine.” Jack felt a small smile tug at his mouth, especially when Davey’s cheeks colored. “I mean… of course they’re _both_ important, of course they are, but I just don’t want you to think that it’s not important because of course it is-”

            “Dave,” Jack laughed, “it’s alright. I get it.”

            Mr. Jacobs nodded but the flush was still in his cheeks as he smiled at his students and took their journals from them as they ran over.

            Jack had a hard time taking his eyes off of him.

            He felt his ears burn when Davey turned and caught him staring at him. “Do I have something on my face?” Davey asked and touched his face self-consciously.

            “No,” Jack said and shook his head. “I just was thinkin’ that you’s real good wit’ them kids is all.”

            “Well, you’re good with the kids too,” Davey said with a soft smile.

            “I guess it just comes wit’ havin’ three of ‘em.” Jack shrugged and out of habit he looked around and found Benjy. He was sitting with a few of the kids in his class and he was winding pieces of grass and flowers into crowns. Jack smiled as he watched him for a while.

            “It’s really nice to see a dad as involved as you are,” Mr. Jacobs said and Jack turned to look at him. He almost wanted to fidget due to the softness in Davey’s eyes. He certainly could feel a blush coloring his cheeks and neck.

            “I do my best,” Jack said and dipped his head.

            They both were pulled away: Jack by Benjy and Mr. Jacobs by Ms. Williams.

            Jack had a really nice time though he did have a stomach lurching moment at lunch. The school provided lunches were peanut butter and jelly and Benjy had let Liam take a drink of his juice box. He was about to take a drink when Jack had to rush over and take the juice box from him. “B, we gotta get you a new one.” Benjy looked between Jack and Liam with a frown. “You can’t have peanut butter, champ. Lemme get you something new to drink.” Jack passed the juice to Liam and then went to get his water. “Here, and don’t let nobody drink after you, that’s all you’s got.” Jack’s heart was still thudding against his ribs even as Benjy nodded and took a drink of his water.

            Jack moved to sit back down in the grass and Mr. Jacobs settled next to him with a concerned twist to his features.

            “Everything okay, Mr. Kelly?” Davey asked.

            “How many times I gotta tell ya to call me Jack?” Jack asked with a strained laugh. He nodded in answer to Davey’s question. “Yeah, I just… I worry ‘cause he don’t understand that he can’t have peanut butter.” Jack turned to actually look at Davey. “He’s allergic. Real allergic.”

            “I’m so sorry,” Davey said and sat up straighter. “I feel so stupid. I should have been keeping a better eye on him. I know that but sometimes… I guess sometimes it gets jumbled who’s allergic to what.”

            “I get it,” Jack said reassuringly. “That’s partially why I felt I needed to come and keep an eye on him. That and it bein’ such a busy place.”

            “I can certainly understand that,” Davey said and he leaned back on his hands. After a beat he grinned and leaned in to whisper to Jack conspiratorially. “And it keeps me from being alone with Ms. Williams.”

            Jack burst into easy laughter that left his cheeks and ribs aching.

…..

            “So how’d it go?” Katherine asked as she packed the kids’ bags into the trunk of her car.

            “Pretty well, almost had an incident with B’s peanut allergy but he’s alright,” Jack soothed when Katherine’s head whipped up to stare at him. “Crisis averted.”

            She seemed to deflate at that. “Thank God.”

            Jack hummed in agreement, leaning his hip against her car.

            “Not to seem like the busy-body ex but…” Katherine chewed her lip and watched him carefully.

            “What is it?”

            “I just don’t want you to be alone, Jack,” Katherine said. “I know Sarah was on you about dating again, and I get that you don’t have tons of time.” She rubbed her hands on her pants. “You took the kids when we split and I know that it was a lot to take on all on your own, it was difficult when we were together, and I’m grateful for you being so amazing and understanding… but I feel guilty. You’re such a great guy, Jack. Too great to be alone.” She gave him a pointed look.

            “Thanks, Katherine. I’ve got… well I don’t wanna say a _crush_ ‘cause that makes me sound like ‘m twelve, but-” Jack bit his lip and shrugged.

            “Good. I’m happy for you.”

            “Thanks,” Jack said. Their conversation was cut off by the kids running out, ready to head out. Atticus clung more than normal and Jack pressed extra kisses to his face to help sooth him.

            “I don’t wanna go,” Atticus said quietly so that just Jack would hear.

            “It’s just a few days, and you’ll be with Mama. You love your visits with Mama.” Jack leaned back and looked his son in the face and gave him a reassuring smile. “And I’ll be here waitin’ for ya, Bud.” Jack blew a raspberry into Atticus’s cheek, making the boy laugh and push at Jack’s chin. Jack grinned and set him down. “Go on and be good.”

            Atticus nodded and then Lilabet was giving him her goodbye kiss and hug. Benjy came over and Jack could see that something was eating at him.

            “Alright, B?” Jack asked and held onto Benjy’s hand.

            “Yeah…” Benjy said distractedly.

            “All ready?” Katherine asked.

            “Yeah,” Benjy said and kissed Jack goodbye before darting into the car and buckling himself into his booster seat.

            Jack waved as they pulled out of the driveway. His stomach felt heavy and something in his chest twisted at seeing his children leaving.

…..

            Jack was laying on his back with his head in the cabinet under the sink. He was fixing the leaky pipe that had been bugging him for a few weeks and he’d never had the time to fix. He grinned when he finally managed to fix it. He shimmied out of the cabinet and once he was out he heard the landline ringing.

            Jack frowned and made his way over. He picked the phone up and frowned at the caller ID. It was Katherine’s landline.

            “Hello?” Jack asked, furrow in his brow.

            “Daddy, it’s Benjy.”

            “Benjy? What’re you callin’ me for?” Jack frowned. “What’s goin’ on?”

            “It’s Atticus.” Jack felt his stomach fall out through his feet.

            “What’s wrong?” Jack asked and he started to pull his shoes on.

            “Grampa Joseph is here and he said something, I don’t know what, to Atticus and Atticus ran off crying and Mama and Ima Sarah’re trying to get him to unlock the door but Grampa Joseph is shouting and it’s bad, Daddy.” Jack hated that he could hear the tears in Benjy’s voice.

            “It’s okay, B. I’m on my way. Just take Lilabet outside and try to keep occupied. You did real good callin’ me.”

            “Okay,” Benjy said.

            “I’m gonna hang up but I’m comin’. I promise,” Jack said and he bounced on his feet.

            “Okay.”

            “Okay, I love you, B.” Jack waited until Benjy had said goodbye and hung up. He threw the phone down and sprinted out to his car. He was sure that he was speeding but he had to get there before things got hectic. He had to make sure he parked properly and locked his car before he sprinted up and into the house.

            He could hear the shouting from down the hall and he headed that way. He saw Katherine, Sarah, and Katherine’s father huddled around the door and he nearly saw red at hearing Joseph Pulitzer shouting at his son.

            “Hey!” Jack didn’t know what came over him but he wanted silence.

            They all turned to look at him and both Sarah and Katherine looked relieved while Pulitzer looked furious.

            “Thank God,” Katherine muttered and gestured him over. “He’s locked himself inside and he won’t let anyone in.”

            “We don’t need you-” Katherine’s father started but a look from Sarah had him shutting his mouth.

            Jack sat down and gestured for the rest of them to stand back. Katherine and Sarah pulled her father back.

            “Hey, Bud,” Jack said softly and with the quiet he could hear the muffled but distinct sound of crying. “Atticus,” Jack said, keeping his voice gently. He ignored Joseph’s scoff and focused on his son. “It’s Daddy. I need you to open the door. I wanna talk to ya.”

            “Daddy?” Atticus asked through the door.

            “Yeah, it’s me. You wanna open up and talk about it?” Jack tried to keep his voice light but he was really worried. Atticus didn’t usually react like this. Whatever Joseph had said had really upset him.

            “Can you come in here?” Atticus asked and Jack could tell he was sitting on the other side of the door.

            “If that’s what you want, yeah,” Jack said.

            “This is why they behave like this!” Joseph snapped. Jack whipped around to glare at him but Katherine’s father was focused on her. “If you just let them do what they like then-“

            “Shuddup!” Jack snapped and pushed himself to his feet. “No kid is perfect and from what I heard, this is _your_ fault!” Jack didn’t realize he’d started stalking towards Katherine’s father until he felt her hand on his chest, halting him.

            “Jack, let’s focus on Atticus for now, please,” Katherine’s voice had an edge of pleading and Jack forced himself to turn back to the door.

            “And another thing, I don’t understand why you let her pretend. A-”

            “Don’t you dare!” Jack snarled and Katherine and Sarah had to grab his shoulders. “Don’t you _dare_ utter that name when he can hear ya! I don’t give a damn that you don’t like that I let my children be who they are! I don’t give a damn that you don’t like that _I’m_ the one raisin’ these kids! You can hate me all you like, but don’t you come afta my kids!” Jack felt like he was burning up with how angry he was.

            “Atticus,” Katherine said. “Help Atticus, Jack.”

            Jack turned back to the door and leaned his forehead against the wood. “I’m right here, Bud. Just lemme in.”

            The door’s lock clicked and Jack heard Atticus shuffling away from the door. Jack slipped into the room and locked it behind him. Atticus was sitting on his bed, his dinosaur stuffy clutched hard to his chest, and he was curled up as small as he could get.

            Jack moved over to sit on the edge of the bed. He didn’t say a word but just held out his arm. Atticus threw himself into Jack’s chest and just wailed. Jack stroked his hair and rubbed his back while murmuring soothing nonsense.

            Once Atticus was a little calmer Jack made his son look at him. “What happened?” He asked quietly.

            “Grampa Joseph,” Atticus hiccupped, “got real mad at me… ‘cuz I gots a boy haircut and boy clothes and boy toys. He got upset and told Mama that I wasn’t right.” Atticus wiped at his eyes and let his forehead fall against Jack’s chest. “It made me feel all twisted up inside and I tried to tell Grampa that I was a boy and that’s why I’ve got boy stuff. Then… then…” Atticus’s breathing hitched and Jack shushed him gently.

            “I get the picture,” Jack said and kissed Atticus’s head. “You know that he can’t tell ya who you are. Him sayin’ stuff don’t change nothin’ ‘bout you.”

            “I… I know,” Atticus said. “It just… it hurt.”

            “I know, Bud. I know.” Jack rubbed Atticus’s back.

            “Can I go home with you? Please?” The pleading in Atticus’s voice nearly broke Jack’s heart.

            “Lemme ask your Mama. Do you want Ima Sarah to come and sit wit’ ya ‘til I get back?” Jack asked.

            “Yeah.”

            “Alright,” Jack lifted Atticus out of his lap and moved to the door. He cracked it open to see them all still standing there. “Sarah, will you come sit wit’ ‘im for a minute. Me and Katherine and Joseph have got ta talk.”

            “Of course,” Sarah slipped into the room as Jack slipped out.

            “He wants ta come home,” Jack said to Katherine. “I think I should take ‘em home.”

            “It’s Katherine’s weekend with the children,” Joseph interjected.

            “I was talkin’ to Katherine,” Jack snapped.

            Katherine turned to her father. “We get it, Dad. You don’t like Jack, you think we’re terrible parents, you think I’m neglecting the children. At this point, I’m not sure I can do anything to make you happy, so please, just _stop_.”

            “Another thing,” Jack said and he kept his eyes on Katherine. “I don’t want your father around the kids anymore. Not unless he learns to behave.”

            “Deal,” Katherine said without hesitation. “Take them home and I promise this won’t happen again.”

            “Thank you,” Jack said and pressed a kiss to Katherine’s cheek. He moved to tell Sarah to get Atticus’s things packed up.

            Jack ignored the affronted look on Pulitzer’s face as he moved to get Lilabet and Benjy’s backpacks. After he’d tossed them angrily in his trunk he moved around to the backyard. “C’mon kids. We’re headin’ home!” Lilabet grinned and darted over to him and held onto his leg.

            “I thought we weren’t coming home ‘til later,” Lilabet said.

            “Change of plans, c’mon. I already got yous’ stuff so just get in the car. Mama and Ima Sarah know so it’s alright.” Benjy nodded and lead Lilabet to the car. Jack smiled at him, proud that he was stepping up even at seven. Sarah carried Atticus out as Jack was buckling Benjy into his booster seat.

            “Hey,” Sarah said and handed Atticus over to Jack. Jack kissed his temple and smiled at her.

            “Thank you,” he said genuinely.

            “Always, Jack.” She turned to Atticus. “You remember what I told you. Alright, Tater Tot?”

            Atticus nodded and he was smiling, even if it was a little watery. “I will.”

            “You ready to go home, Atti?” Jack asked. Atticus nodded and so Jack buckled him into his car seat and they headed home. Jack got the kids settled and then he called Race. “Hey, I know it’s your day off but-”

            “What can I do for ya?” Race asked.

            “Can you come over?” Jack asked. He explained everything that had happened, and Race agreed to rush over to come and talk to Atticus. Jack felt his anger simmering in the back of his mind as Atticus came over and clung onto him as Jack went about what he needed to do. “Are yous hungry?” Jack asked as he glanced over at the clock and noted it was a little past their lunchtime.

            Benjy and Lilabet nodded but Atticus just shrugged from where he had his face buried in Jack’s hip. Jack picked him up and kissed his forehead.

            “Not hungry?” He asked. Atticus shook his head.

            “I feel sick in my tummy,” Atticus said and laid his head on Jack’s shoulder.

            “Well, you wanna help me make roast beef sandwiches?” Jack asked.

            “I guess,” Atticus sighed and rubbed his face against Jack’s shirt.

            “Can you keep a secret for me?” Jack whispered. Atticus perked up a little at that. “Your Uncle Race is gonna come over. He’s on his way now.” Atticus let out a delighted laugh. “I thought you’d like that. Now c’mon, we’s got to make lunch.”

            Atticus nodded and he helped to fetch things that Jack “forgot” when making sandwiches. Atticus was laughing and bouncing on his toes as Jack was cutting the kids’ sandwiches.

            “Daddy?” Atticus asked and peeked up at Jack. “I think… I think I _could_ eat a roast beef sandwich.”

            “You know, I had a feeling you might say that,” Jack said and balanced the plates with sandwiches on them as he carried them to the table.

            The kids had just started eating then Race walked in. “Uncle Race!” Atticus shouted and grinned brightly. Race waved at him and was toeing off his shoes when Spot walked in. “You didn’t tell me that Uncle Spot was coming too!” Atticus looked at Jack accusatorily.

            “I can leave if you want, Squirt,” Spot said and pointed over his shoulder.

            “No, no, no,” Atticus shook his head. “I guess you can stay.”

            “Atti!” Benjy said, offended on Spot’s behalf.

            “It’s alright, B,” Spot snorted as he untied his boots.

            “I made lunch. I knew Race was comin’,” Jack said and tossed him a sandwich wrapped in plastic. “You want anythin’, Spot?”

            Spot shook his head. “Just came to check up on the kiddos.” Jack nodded and picked at the crust on his sandwich as Spot and Race settled at the table and talked with the kids. It felt like a little of the weight on Jack’s shoulders had lifted.

…..

            Jack tucked a blanket over Race and Atticus where they were sleeping on the couch together. Jack brushed Atticus’s hair from his eyes and winced in sympathy as he noticed Atticus’s knee was jammed into Race’s ribs, but Race didn’t seem to mind.

            “Got the other two hoodlums to get some sleep too,” Spot said. “Lilabet sassed me while brushin’ her teeth, but B was oddly quiet. Is he alright?”

            “Guess he’s a little shook up from today,” Jack sighed and he and Spot walked out the back door so that they didn’t wake up any of the others. They sat down at the little table that Jack had set up for the kids. “He’s the one that called.”

            “Good kid,” Spot said and Jack could see the pride in Spot’s eyes.

            “He is.”

            “They all are, J. You’s a good dad… no matter what Old Man Pulitzer says,” Spot said and punched Jack’s arm.

            “I just… sometimes I wonder if I ain’t just screwin’ ‘em all up,” Jack admitted and pinched the bridge of his nose.

            “Hey!” Spot said sternly. “You love them kids?”

            “Of course I do.”

            “You’d do anythin’ for ‘em?”

            “You know I would.”

            “Then that’s all there is to it,” Spot said and rubbed his hands together. He shoved at Jack’s shoulder with a smile. They were quite for a long time before Spot broke the silence. “Can I ask ya somethin’ without ya blabbin’ to Race?” Spot asked quietly. Jack immediately was worried. Spot Conlon didn’t do quiet.

            “O’ course. We’s brothers, you and me.” Jack looked over at Spot.

            Spot looked down at his lap for a second before he sighed heavily. “I been thinkin’ a lot.”

            “Here comes the danger.”

            “Shuddup.”

            “Sorry.”

            “… I’ve been thinkin’ ‘bout me and Racer a lot. I, uh, well I been thinkin’ ‘bout us gettin’… well, ‘bout gettin’ married I guess.” Spot’s ears were red and Jack knew not to laugh. Spot didn’t open up very much, not even to his own brother, so this was serious and Jack needed to take it seriously.

            “Go for it,” Jack said. “It ain’t like he’s gonna say no.”

            “You really think so?” Spot asked.

            “I know so,” Jack said and grinned at Spot. “C’mon. I think you’s gonna have to spend the night. I ain’t wakin’ Atti up and that means Race is stayin’ where he is.”

            Spot groaned and Jack just laughed as he got up to head back inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo! This one's a bit of a doozy. So user QueenofFangirls asked about Atticus and the tension between Pulitzer and our motley crew and the answer fit so perfectly into this chapter that I decided to show y'all. Atticus is trans just like his Uncle Race! Comment and tell me what you think!
> 
> So just to help explain things because I'm not sure a whole explanation will ever fit into the story: Katherine and Jack were never married and they were really young when they had Benjy. He was a happy accident. Then the twins were born (also accidents) but Katherine wasn't happy and she'd met and kinda half fallen in love with Sarah. So they amicably split but Katherine had never really planned on being a mom but Jack was so down to be a dad and he was okay with her not being all-in (Don't get me wrong she loves those munchkins with her whole heart but it's very difficult for her). So she let Jack take them and they came up with the every other weekend with Katherine. Pulitzer was already disapproving because Jack never married Katherine (though Jack offered but Katherine turned him down) and he thinks that the children's place is with their mother. Hence their resentment of each other (plus he disapproves of Jack "letting" Atticus be trans).  
> Whew, just wanted to explain that and I hope that clears things up.  
> -James


	4. Getting There

            Family dinners were some of the most harrowing experiences of Jack’s life.

            Medda would have them all over for dinner, or try to, about once a month. Jack would round up the kids and they’d all head that way.

            They were at once such dinner and Jack was trying to find a quiet spot. The kids were playing a new game that Medda had gotten for them, Spot and Race were making out in Jack and Spot’s old room, Crutchie was helping Medda in the kitchen, Albert was “supervising” the kids, and Smalls and JoJo hadn’t arrived yet. Jack wiggled out of the upstairs bathroom window so he was sitting on the roof that shielded Medda’s porch. He glanced around guiltily before he pulled the cigarette Race had given him out of his back pocket. He lit it and took a long drag.

            “Hey!” Jack nearly dropped his cigarette from fear but when he looked it was just Smalls and JoJo grinning up at him from the driveway. Smalls had been the one to shout.

            “Fuck you, Smalls!” Jack shouted and flipped off his baby sister.

            “Suck a dick, Jack!” Smalls laughed and she grabbed JoJo’s hand. Both of them disappeared from sight and then, after a moment of muffled cursing, she was pulling herself up onto the roof. JoJo followed shortly after but with a lot more grace and ease.

            “How’re you…?”

            “How do you think I got into Smallsies’s room when wes was in high school,” JoJo said and shifted so that they wouldn’t slip off the roof.

            “That’s gross,” Jack said and flicked the ash off the end of his cigarette.

            “No, _that_ ,” Smalls said and gestured to Jack’s cigarette, “is gross. And you know Mama’s gonna kill you when she finds out.”

            “She ain’t gonna find out if you keep your big mouth shut,” Jack muttered.

            “She’s gonna smell it,” JoJo pointed out. Jack couldn’t argue with that. He stubbed it out and wiggled toward the edge to toss it into the gutter. He shifted back so he could lean against the siding.

            “Stressed?” Smalls asked, the edge in her voice smoothed out. Jack looked over at where her and JoJo were holding hands.

            “A little,” Jack shrugged. “I gots three kids. Sorry, sis, that was a bit of a dumb question.”

            Smalls snorted. “Why do you think ‘m datin’ someone with the same parts as me. I ain’t dealin’ with any squirmies.” Smalls wrinkled her nose and JoJo looked at her sharply.

            “I thought we’d talked about this,” JoJo started and Jack knew a fight brewing when he saw it. He stealthily snuck back in through the window and went back downstairs.

            “James Sawyer Kelly, that better not be smoke I smell,” Medda said as Jack passed her to get a bottle of water.

            “Never, Mama. Never.” Jack grinned and slipped out of the kitchen quickly before she could whack him with her spoon.

…..

            They got through dinner with little to no injury (Spot stuck Race in the elbow with a fork for nearly saying fuck in front of Medda and the children). Jack had sent the children into one of the spare rooms so they could play without Jack constantly having to hush them.

            His siblings were sitting around the living room but they were all focused on their own thing until Crutchie spoke.

            “So, Jack. Katherine told me that you’ve got a crush on somebody.”

            Jack cringed as all his siblings suddenly jumped on the topic. “C’mon, guys. This is stupid. Why’ve we gotta talk about this?”

            “You’s the only one without somebody,” Smalls pointed out. “’Cept Crutchie and Al, but Crutchie’s ace and happy and Albie’s aro ace so… that just leaves you.”

            “It’s nothin’,” Jack shrugged. “He and I ain’t gonna do nothin’.”

            “So it’s a guy this time?” JoJo asked with intrigue written across their face.

            “Hello, I’s bisexual,” Jack muttered with a sarcastic wave and rolled his eyes. JoJo stuck their tongue out at him.

            “But you ain’t gone out with a guy for a while,” Albert pointed out.

            Jack just fidgeted. “I don’t wanna talk about this.”

            “Talk about what?” Medda asked as she swept in balancing a cup of tea on a saucer. All of them straightened up but Jack kept his eyes on his lap. Even though he wasn’t looking, he could _feel_ all his siblings’ eyes on him. “Jack?”

            Jack looked up sheepishly and smiled at his mother. “Nothin’?”

            “I don’t believe that for a second,” Medda said and settled in her chair.

            “He’s got a crush,” Albert said. “It’s a boy.”

            “Ooh,” Medda said with a teasing smile.

            “It’s nothin’,” Jack insisted.

            “Yet.” Crutchie grinned and gave Jack a look heavy with innuendo. Jack flipped him off. Medda glared at him.

            “I ain’t gonna, ‘cuz I can’t,” Jack said and brushed his hair back from his face.

            “Why’s that?” Smalls asked with a raised eyebrow.

            Jack fidgeted for a moment and he felt his face get hot as the silence stretched on. “He’s Benjy’s teacher,” Jack mumbled.

            “What?” Albert asked.

            “It’s Benjy’s teacher,” Jack said and felt his cheeks go red as the others started to talk and talk over each other.

            “Wait one minute,” Medda said and with a small wave of her hand all of Jack’s siblings and their significant others quieted. Jack was in slight awe of his own adopted mother. “Why can’t you ask out Benjamin’s teacher? Does he mind?”

            “I dunno, I ain’t _asked_ ‘im.” Jack shook his head. “Iddn’t it inappropriate?”

            “I don’t think they’s any rules against it,” Race pointed out.

            “I ain’t got _time_ ,” Jack insisted. “No matter what I feel or who I feel it about. Now can we just _please_ stop talkin’ ‘bout it.” Jack stood and moved down the hall to check on the kids. He moved over to lean in the doorway. “Yous ready to go?”

            They looked over at him. “Do we gotta?” Lilabet asked.

            “’Fraid so,” Jack said. “Why don’t yous get your coats and give everyone goodbye hugs and kisses.”

            Benjy frowned but nodded and moved to put the game back into the box. The kids cleaned up quickly before Jack ushered them out to say goodbye.

            “We gotta head home. Gotta get the li’l ‘uns into bed,” Jack said. Jack’s siblings exchanged looks but they accepted their hugs and kisses from the kids. Atticus clung onto Race for a prolonged moment before Race said something in his ear. Atticus smiled and nodded before he pulled away and darted off to pull his shoes on. “I’ll see yous all next time.” Jack’s smile was strained as he pulled on his own coat.

…..

            Jack tapped his fingers on his thigh as he waited for the kids to come out of school. He almost wanted to walk down to the kids’ classrooms. Partially to expediate the process, but also because he knew that picking Benjy up directly meant he could see Davey.

            He shifted awkwardly at the thought. He didn’t even know if Davey had any interest in him. If Davey was even into men at all. He pushed his hair away from his face and smiled as he waved at some of the parents he recognized. His attention focused back on the doors when Atticus came sprinting out of them and crashed into Jack’s legs, clinging onto him tightly.

            “Daddy, I can’t wait ‘til you come to class!” Atticus grinned up at Jack and Jack frowned as he lifted Atticus up.

            “What’re ya talkin’ ‘bout, Bud?” Jack asked.

            “This!” Atticus grinned and showed Jack the flier he’d been holding.

            It was about Career Day. Jack nodded as he read.

            “So are you coming?” Lilabet asked, clinging to Jack’s pant leg. She must have come out while Jack was reading.

            “I’ll have to talk to Yaya about it first, and Benjy, of course. He might want me to go to his class. We’ll work it out.” Jack pressed a kiss to Atticus’s temple and they waited until Benjy, who had a sour look on his face, walked out. “What’s wrong, B?” Jack asked but Benjy just shook his head and didn’t respond.

            Jack frowned but kept an eye on him as he went about helping with homework and making dinner. It wasn’t until he had the twins in bed and was putting Benjy to bed that he brought it up again. “Alright, B. What’s goin’ on?” Jack smoothed out Benjy’s blanket before looking at him.

            “Nothing…” Benjy mumbled but he shifted guiltily. Jack just waited patiently until Benjy finally sighed heavily, giving in. “Atticus told you about Career Day.”

            Jack tried to piece it together, but it wasn’t clicking. “And?”

            “And I don’t want you to come,” Benjy said quietly.

            Jack let that sink in for a moment. Only a week and a half ago, Benjy had been excited and happy that Jack had come along on his field trip and now he didn’t want Jack around anymore.

            “Did I do somethin’ wrong?” Jack asked and tried to keep a neutral exterior. He honestly was hurt that Benjy seemed to be pulling back from him.

            Benjy just shrugged.

            “Well do you want someone else to come to your class? Mama maybe?” Jack asked. Benjy thought for a moment and twisted his fingers in his pajamas.

            “Well…” Benjy fidgeted some more. “What about… Aunt Smalls?”

            Jack nodded and swallowed down the lump in his throat. “I’m sure she’d love to come and talk to your class. I’ll call her tomorrow and tell her about it.”

…..

            “You ain’t gonna get all bent outta shape if I go, are ya?” Smalls asked and Jack sighed heavily.

            “No. He wants you there insteada me. It’s fine,” Jack said. He didn’t like it, in all honestly, but this was about what Benjy wanted and would make him comfortable.

            “You sure? I don’t wanna get in the middle of it,” Smalls said and Jack could hear her shuffling restlessly.

            “He probably just thinks that bein’ a firefighter and mechanic is more interestin’ than what I do. He’s a kid. It’s whatever.” Jack shrugged casually even though he knew Smalls couldn’t see it.

            “Alright. Tell B I’ll be there.”

            “Sure thing.”

            “See ya later, Cowboy.”

            “Later, Smallsie.” Jack hung up and he sighed heavily. He pushed himself away from his desk and went about making up his room for his class. His students came in quietly for the most part and Jack waited until five minutes after they were supposed to be in. He knew that some of the kids’ foster parents/social workers ran a little late.

            Once Boots and Freckles had come in and settled Jack got started. “Alright, so today I’m gonna have yous draw somethin’ simple for me,” Jack said and tucked his hands into his back pockets. “I want yous to draw a house. Any kinda house you like. It can be real or fake, don’t matter. You can draw or paint it with whatever you like, get started and once everyone is finished I’ll tell ya what I want yous to do next.” Jack walked around the room and kept an eye on the kids as they worked on what they were doing. “Do yous mind if I put on some music?” Jack asked. The kids shook their heads and so Jack went over to where he had his computer and speakers. He tapped in a song that he liked and played it quietly on a loop.

            The kids worked and once they were all finished Jack stood in the middle of them so he could see all of them. “Alright, so now I want yous to swap your pictures with someone else.” The kids looked at each other warily but moved to comply. “Now, however you feel like, I want you to destroy the other person’s picture.” Immediately protests went up but Jack held up his hand, his signal for quiet. “What’s wrong? One at a time,” Jack tacked on.

            Freckles stood and she crossed her arms, a tell that Jack had noted was her self-defense mechanism, as she spoke. “I’m not sure I like someone ripping up or paintin’ over somethin’ I just worked real hard on.”

            “I know it seems a little nerve-wrackin’,” Jack said and gave the kids a reassuring smile, “but there’s a point to this and you’ll see what it is in a minute. Yous okay with that?”

            They all slowly went about destroying the drawings they had in their hands. Some kids painted them and then ripped them up, others scratched up holes in the middle of the pages and splashed a bit of paint over it.

            “Alright, now I want yous to give ‘em back to who they belong to,” Jack said and supervised as they did that. “Now, you gots to make something new with what you got back.”

            “We can’t!” Boots protested and shook his head. “They ain’t no way.” He held up his handful of scraps that had been painted blue and green by Buttons.

            “You can,” Jack reassured. “You had somethin’ good, right?” Jack asked the group and they all nodded. “Then somethin’ bad happened.” Jack noticed that a few of the kids were tearing up as they looked at what was left of their drawings. “But,” Jack said and smiled at them as gently as possible, “yous can’t give up just ‘cause somethin’ bad happened. You gots to take what yous’ve got, and make somethin’ good. So that’s what yous’re gonna do. I want you to try and do it on you’s own, but if you really need help bad, I can help. Use the glue and some of the other supplies on the selves if ya need to,” Jack said as he gestured to the shelf with the things he’d mentioned.

            It took a while and Jack had to coax them along, but they finally all had something in front of them.

            “Look at that!” Jack beamed. He was proud of them. “See what yous did? You turned somethin’ bad into somethin’ good. Was it hard sometimes?” The kids nodded, some more vigorously than others. “But you did it, and you can think about this assignment whenever somethin’ bad, or upsettin’, happens in life. You know now that yous can make the best of it, right?” The kids looked at each other and then smiles started to grow as they nodded. “Good, great!” Jack checked his watch. “Alright, that’s all the time we’s got for this week. Go on and clean up. If you wanna keep your work, you can, but if not just leave it on the shelf.” Jack waved to the shelf. Sometimes he displayed the kids’ work to get people interested and to show their progress.

            They were all calmer than normal as they cleaned and then were picked up by their respective guardians. Jack brushed off his hands and moved to grab his bag. He swung it over his head and started toward his car. He was heading home, Race having agreed to pick up the kids today since his class was earlier in the day.

            Jack toed off his shoes once he was inside and went to collapse on the couch. He sighed heavily and rubbed at his eyes. He felt worn out from the past few weeks. He rubbed his forehead to ease the beginnings of a headache before it set it fully. He sat up when he heard the door opening and the kids came in, Race ushering them in with a grin on his face.

            “Dad!” Lilabet smiled and rushed over to the couch, scrambling over the back so she could settle into his lap. Jack smiled at her and kissed the top of her head.

            “Hey. So, how was school?” Jack smiled as Lilabet and then Atticus when he joined them, chattered on about what they’d done that day. “Any homework?” Lilabet shook her head. “Alright, great. What about Benjy?” Jack frowned and craned his neck to see where his oldest boy had gone.

            “He’s sour grapes,” Race said before he flopped down next to Jack and the kids, his back on the seat and his legs thrown over the back. Atticus scrambled over and he sat on Race’s chest. Race’s hand came up to steady Atticus and Jack noticed the flash of silver on Race’s finger.

            “What’s that?” Jack asked and nodded toward the ring. He couldn’t help the grin that was making his cheeks ache. He hadn’t thought Spot would have mustered up the courage within the year, but here they were.

            “You’s lookin’ at an engaged man,” Race winked.

            “What’s engaged?” Atticus asked as he lifted Race’s hand up to trace the metal.

            “Means Uncle Race is gettin’ married,” Jack said.

            Atticus blinked owlishly. “Uncle Spot’s gonna be real mad.”

            Race frowned. “Why’s that?”

            “’Cuz I’m pretty sure he wanted to marry you,” Atticus said.

            “Who do ya think asked me?” Race laughed and ruffled Atticus’s hair.

            “That makes more sense,” Atticus said. He stood and grabbed Lilabet’s hand. “We gotta go tell Benjy that Uncle Race and Uncle Spot are gettin’ married.” They took off and Jack just watched them go. He waited until he heard the distant sound of excited chatter before he turned to look at Race.

            “I know I ain’t gotta give you the shovel talk,” Jack said and eyed Race, “but you know what I’d say if I was gonna.”

            “Don’t worry about it, if I’s stuck with ‘im this long, I think marriage ain’t gonna be nothin’.” Race couldn’t help the smile on his face and Jack was happy for him, for both of them.

           

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm taking steps to get Jack and David together gradually. Hopefully I'm not going too slow. Tell me what you think! :) Also, updates may be (most likely WILL be) a little slower since my uni semester has started.  
> -James


	5. Career Day

            Jack had a feeling that today was going to be a bad day.

            He woke up a little later than normal, his alarm having not went off, and so everything was a little more rushed. He got the kids up and they were doing their frantic routines as Jack rushed to get their lunches ready, their backpacks packed, and going over what he was going to say to Atticus and Lilabet’s class.

            Today was Career Day.

            Jack felt his stomach turn at the thought and everything that went with it. He heard a knock and he just shouted. “COME IN!!!” He zipped up Benjy’s backpack, his lunch nestled inside, and smiled at Smalls in passing. “Sorry everything’s a little crazy,” Jack said as he moved to the foot of the stairs. “Come on, wes’ gots to go!”

            “You okay, Jack?” Smalls asked and shifted the grip on her duffel bag with her firefighter’s gear in it.

            “Busy mornin’,” was all Jack had time to say as Atticus and Lilabet came down the stairs. Lilabet’s hair wasn’t combed and Atticus had his shirt slung over his shoulder. They both went about eating their breakfasts while Jack combed and braided Lilabet’s hair. “Smallsie, can you please check on B for me. He’s usually down pretty fast.”

            “Sure thing, J.” Smalls dropped her duffel with a thud and went up after him as Jack made sure that the other two were cleaned up and ready for school. He got them into socks and shoes and then hats and coats and gloves. Benjy came down with Smalls at his heels and grabbed up his backpack. He slipped his coat on and Smalls crammed a hat onto his head.

            “All ready, B?” Jack asked, holding onto the twins’ hands.

            “Ready!” Benjy said and sped off toward Smalls’s truck.

            “I’ll drive slow,” Smalls said and hopped into her truck. They rode to school and Jack felt his nerves getting at him as Atticus and Lilabet chattered excitedly about what their friends’ parents did.

…..

            Jack smiled as the kids clapped at his presentation about his job. Mush grinned and Jack already knew that this meant trouble. “So, Mr. Kelly, I ask all my parents if there are any strange talents they have that don’t necessarily connect to their job. Care to share one?” Jack bit his lip and shrugged casually.

            “Daddy can dance real good!” Lilabet said and grinned proudly at the ooh’s and aah’s from the other kids.

            “Well, I don’t _really_ anymore,” Jack said but Atticus tugged on Jack’s hand insistently.

            “C’mon, Daddy! Show everybody how you tap with Uncle Race!” Atticus bounced on his heels and clung onto Jack’s pant leg.

            “Please, Mr. Kelly. We’d love to see any skill you can show us.” Mush was grinning and Jack narrowed his eyes. No doubt Mush had put Atticus and Lilabet up to mentioning Jack’s piss poor tapping abilities.

            “Alright, but technically this counts as soft shoe,” Jack teased and he shuffled the kids back to give him a little room. He pulled out his phone and pulled up the orchestration that Race usually used. “I warn yous it ain’t gonna be very good. ‘Specially not without taps on.”

            “Just do your best,” Mush said and Jack nodded as the music started and he did a short part of the routine Race had pain-stakingly tried to teach him. It was a little sloppy but Jack just sheepishly grinned as the kids clapped excitedly and the other parents clapped politely. Jack ducked his head as he moved over to sit but there was a knock on the door.

            “I’ve got to see Mr. Kelly. Now.” Jack looked up at the urgent tone and saw Mr. Jacobs standing in the doorway.

            “Somethin’ wr-”

            “It’s Benjy.” Jack’s heart hammered against his ribs and he was instantly imagining the worst.

            Jack was immediately sprinting down the hall toward Benjy’s classroom. He nearly slid on the tile floor as he stepped inside the room. It was empty. Jack frowned and Davey walked briskly out the door that lead outside. Jack followed and he saw Benjy standing outside, Smalls’s hand on his back and his chest and talking to him quietly.

            “Benjy!” Jack said and moved over to him. His eyes were red but tears were sliding down his face as he reached for Jack. “Hey, it’s okay. What happened?”

            “He got stung by a bee,” Smalls said. “I didn’t think he was allergic.”

            “He ain’t never been stung before,” Jack said and he fished in his pocket for a penny. “Where’d you get stung, kiddo?”

            Benjy held out his arm, his chest spasming a little as he struggled to get enough air in. Jack pressed the penny to the swollen, red spot.

            “You got Benadryl in our first aid pack, Smallsie?” Jack asked.

            “Yeah. Be back in a jiffy, B. Just keep breathin’ like I told you.” Smals winked at him before darting over to her bag and digging through it. She found the liquid and tossed it to Jack.

            Jack poured out a little more than the normal dose for Benjy. “Here, champ. Swallow this as best you can,” Jack said and tipped the medicine into Benjy’s mouth. He swallowed thickly and Jack smiled encouragingly. “There you go. See, you’s alright. You’s gonna be alright.” He rubbed Benjy’s back and after a moment, Benjy’s breathing came a lot easier. “There we are.”

            Benjy’s breathing shuddered and he buried his face in Jack’s neck. “I… I was scared.” Benjy’s voice was raspy as he clung onto Jack’s shirt.

            “It’s okay, you’re okay.” Jack pressed a kiss into Benjy’s temple.

            “We should take him up to see the nurse,” Davey said and crouched down so he could look at Jack. “Just to make sure he’ll be alright.”

            “Yeah,” Jack said and lifted Benjy up easily.

            “I’ll walk you there,” Davey said and patted Jack’s shoulder. “We’ll be right back, if you all would just come back inside and work on your writing assignment for the day.” Jack had nearly forgotten about the other students and parents in the class. He rubbed Benjy’s back and shifted his grip on his son.

            “Smalls, will you check in on Atti and Lilabet?”

            “Of course, J.” She patted Benjy’s back and moved to head that direction. Jack followed Davey toward the front of the school. They headed into the nurse’s office and told the nurse what had happened.

            “I need to speak with you,” Davey said and chewed his lip.

            “I’ll be right here, B. Just call if you need me,” Jack said and ruffled his son’s hair. Benjy looked at him for a moment, a frown on his face, before he moved to let the nurse look him over.

            “I’m so sorry, Jack,” Davey said and pushed his hair from his eyes. “It just all happened so suddenly and I knew that you were in the building.”

            “Hey, it’s alright, Dave.” Jack smiled and let his hand rest on Davey’s arm. “He’s alright and that’s what matters. And now we know that he’s allergic.”

            “Still, I must have scared the life out of you and I’m sorry,” Davey ducked his head.

            Jack’s throat felt tight and he nodded. “It’s okay. You did what you thought was right. Benjy’s okay, so we’s okay.” Jack smiled and when Davey looked at him Jack felt like he’d been punched in the chest. He realized that he was still touching Davey’s arm when Davey shifted to lean into the touch. Jack let his hand fall, but it still brushed against Davey’s wrist.

            Jack chewed his lip and he turned to watch Benjy with the nurse. “I think you should take Benjy home for the day. Benadryl’s probably going to make him pretty sleepy. I can gather up the rest of his activity sheets and send them home with you.”

            “I’d appreciate that,” Jack said with a smile. He let his fingers brush against the back of Davey’s hand and his smile grew as Davey’s cheeks flushed red.

            “Mr. Kelly?”

            Jack jerked away as the nurse smiled at him. “That’s me,” Jack said lamely.

            “I think that you should take Benjamin home and keep an eye on him. He looks alright, the swelling has gone down, but he still has a little bit of a rash.” Jack nodded and smiled at her as Benjy came over to lean against Jack’s side.

            “Hey, kiddo. You feelin’ any better?” Jack asked and ran his fingers through Benjy’s hair.

            “’M a little sleepy,” Benjy said and buried his face in Jack’s hip. “Can we go home now?”

            “Yeah, we’s goin’ home. Just gotta get your homework from Davey- I mean, Mr. Jacobs,” Jack said and he moved to pick his son up.

            “I wanna go now,” Benjy said and buried his face further into Jack’s neck. Jack frowned and he looked at Davey. Davey just shrugged helplessly.

            “I can send it to Mr. Meyers and have him give it to Atticus or Elizabeth,” Davey said with a smile.

            “Would you?”

            “Of course, Jack,” Davey said softly. He set a light hand on Benjy’s back with a soft smile. “I hope you feel better and we can see you again on Monday, Benjamin.”

            “Thank you,” Benjy said with a slight smile as he peeked out to look at Davey.

…..

            Jack took Benjy and put him in bed with a heavy sigh. Benjy was already asleep, the Benadryl running through his system, so Jack just slipped off his son’s shoes and tucked him in. “I love you, B.” Jack whispered as he pressed a kiss to Benjy’s forehead softly.

            Jack headed downstairs and picked up the landline. He dialed Katherine’s office number and cradled the phone between his cheek and his shoulder as he listened to it ring. He tapped his foot and moved to make Benjy a sandwich for when he woke up.

            “Katherine Pulitzer-Jacobs speaking, what can I do for you?”

            “Well, don’t you sound all professional-like,” Jack teased.

            Katherine scoffed. “It’s just you. I didn’t look at the caller ID before I picked up.” Jack could practically hear her rolling her eyes. “What’s up, Jack?”

            “Benjy had a little accident at school today. Nothin’ too serious so don’t worry,” Jack said as he halved the sandwich and then put it in a plastic bag.

            “What happened?”

            “He got stung by a bee, and he had an allergic reaction to it. Not too bad. No Epipen needed, but he did have to take some Benadryl to bring the swelling down so he’s home with me for the day.” Jack zipped the bag shut and put it into the fridge.

            “I’ll add it to the list of his allergies,” Katherine said and Jack could hear her writing it.

            “We need to invest in one of those tags for him,” Jack said and leaned his hip against the counter.

            “I know,” Katherine said. “Sarah and I have been talking about it.”

            “I’ll research them tonight and then we’ll talk some more about it,” Jack said. “I just wanted you to be in the loop.”

            “I appreciate it,” Katherine said. There was a pause. “You sound exhausted, Jack.”

            “I’ve had an eventful couple of days, Katherine.”

            “I’m sorry, handsome,” Katherine said. “Do you want me and Sarah to take the kids for the weekend. I know it’s not our week but-”

            “It’s okay. I’ll figure out something out. I can handle it,” Jack said a little too defensively.

            “I know you can, Jack. I trust you,” Katherine said placatingly. There was a murmur that Jack could comprehend that came through. “I’ve got to go, but I’ll call you tonight to check up on Benjy. Is that okay?”

            “Of course, Kath. I’ll talk to you then.” Jack smiled tensely and they said goodbye. He hung up and went about his routine until he heard feet pattering on the floor. He turned to see Benjy walking out, rubbing his eyes.

            “Hey, you,” Jack said and let Benjy come over and bury his face in Jack’s hip. “How you feelin’, champ?”

            “Still a lil’ sleepy,” Benjy said and held out his arms to be picked up. Jack figured he probably had to feel pretty icky if he was asking to be held. Jack picked him up and rubbed his back.

            “Can I see your sting? Just wanna check up on it,” Jack said and Benjy pushed up his sleeve. Jack gently peeled off the medical tape holding the penny on and took a look. It was still splotchy and red, but most of the swelling was gone. “That looks alright.” Jack pressed a light kiss to it. “Now, you hungry? I made you a ham sandwich.” Benjy nodded and Jack settled him at the table before fetching Benjy’s sandwich and some water for him to drink.

            They spent the rest of the day playing board games or with Benjy reading a book while Jack worked on either housework or paperwork for work.

…..

            Jack tapped the wheel as he pulled into a parking space. He glanced back at Benjy and smiled at him as Benjy turned to look at him. “Can I come inside, Dad?”

            “I don’t see why not,” Jack said and unbuckled his seat belt. He slid out and waited for Benjy to hop out so he could take his son’s hand and walk toward the front doors to wait for Lilabet and Atticus to come out.

            They heard the bell ring and kids came out to meet their parents. Jack waited and held onto Benjy’s hand as they waited. Jack was honestly surprised when he saw Davey walking out with Atticus and Lilabet at his sides. He was smiling and chatting with them easily as he looked around the crowd. He smiled and waved to Jack when he spotted him and Jack felt his stomach twist up. He smiled and waved back as they walked over.

            “Hey,” Davey said and he walked over, Atticus and Lilabet grinning between Jack and Davey. “I figured you were going to pick Atticus and Elizabeth up so I kept a hold of Benjy’s homework. Here,” Davey said and held out some papers that were clipped together.

            “Thanks,” Jack said and took hold of the papers, his fingers brushing against Davey’s on the page. He didn’t pull away and neither did Davey.

            “I told you,” Lilabet stage-whispered. Jack frowned and look at where Lilabet was looking at Atticus with a triumphant grin. “Tol’ you Daddy had a crush on Mr. Jacobs.” Jack’s face when bright red.

            Benjy looked at Jack with a hurt look and Jack felt frozen. He had Atticus looking at him like he was lost, Benjy looked so betrayed, Lilabet looked excited, and Davey looked like Jack felt: like he wanted the pavement to open up and swallow him whole.

            “Don’t worry, Mr. Jacobs,” Lilabet said and patted Davey’s hand. “Daddy’s a great guy. Mama says so, and so does Yaya. Mama says he’s a real catch.”

            “Lilabet!” Jack said and he lightly covered his daughter’s big mouth. A trait she’d unfortunately gotten from him. “I think it’s time for use to go home now. Say goodbye to Mr. Jacobs.”

            The kids waved and Jack felt his ears burning as he ushered them to the car.

…..

            Jack sighed as he closed Atticus and Lilabet’s door. He moved over into Benjy’s room to tuck his oldest boy in. “Hey, champ. Time for lights out.” Jack moved and sat on the edge of Benjy’s bed.

            “Dad,” Benjy said and picked at the cover of his book. “You don’t really have a crush on Mr. Jacobs, do you?”

            Jack took a deep breath. “Does it bother you?”

            Benjy frowned at his blanket. “A little,” he said quietly.

            Suddenly something clicked in Jack’s head. Benjy’s sulky attitude and the way he glared at Davey when Jack was around. “Is that why you didn’t want me to come to Career Day?” Jack asked.

            Benjy shrugged but then after a while he nodded. “I just… I get all knotted up on the inside when I see you smiling at Mr. Jacobs like that. Like how you used to look at Mama.”

            Jack took a deep breath. “You know I’s always gonna love your mom. She gave me you and Lilabet and Atticus, and I love yous more than anythin’.” Jack leaned over and kissed the top of Benjy’s head. “But, Mama loves Ima Sarah, and I’s alright with that because that’s what makes Mama happy. And Mama wants me to be happy too. Whether it’s with Mr. Jacobs or with someone else.”

            “So Mama knows you got a crush on Mr. Jacobs?”

            “Well, she knows I’s got a crush on _somebody_.”

            “Okay,” Benjy said though he was still frowning. “If he makes you really happy, Dad. I guess it’s okay with me if you go on dates and hold hands and kiss and all that other icky stuff.”

            Jack laughed and nodded. “Thank you, B. I really appreciate that.”

            “No problem,” Benjy said around a yawn.

            “Get some sleep,” Jack said and tucked Benjy in. “Love you, B.”

            “Love you too, Dad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this chapter has been so delayed! My course load for uni is really heavy and I've been pretty sick as well. Hope y'all like this one and continue to bear with me!  
> -James


	6. Sick Day

            Jack walked into the twin’s room to get them up for breakfast. Jack sat on Lilabet’s bed and combed her hair away from her eyes. “Hey, sleepyhead. Time to wake up,” Jack pressed a smacking kiss to her cheek and she smiled hazily and laughed as she clumsily pushed at his face. “C’mon, sweetheart. I’m making pancakes.” At pancakes she perked right up and stretched and yawned and slipped out of bed. Jack watched her go before he moved over to Atticus’s bed. He ran his hand over Atticus’s back. “Hey, Bud. Need ya to wake up.” Jack leaned over and kissed the back of Atticus’s head.

            Atticus didn’t stir.

            Jack frowned. Atticus was a pretty light sleeper so for him not to wake up when Jack had walked in was strange enough, but for him not to move when Jack was talking to him and had touched him was especially strange.

            “Bud?” Jack asked and he leaned to be able to see Atticus’s face. His cheeks were flushed and his little face was screwed up. “Atticus, sweetheart?”

            Atticus’s eyelids fluttered and he whined before coughing harshly. He panted tiredly before he turned over sluggishly and buried his face in Jack’s thigh.

            “You don’t sound so good,” Jack said and brushed Atticus’s hair back. He frowned at how warm Atticus felt.

            “I feel yucky,” Atticus said and his voice was hoarse and the next cough he let out shuddered through his whole chest. “I hurt.”

            “I bet,” Jack said. “Let’s try some pancakes and we’ll see how you feel after you eat. How ‘bout that?”

            Atticus nodded but didn’t make any move to get out of bed. In Jack’s opinion he looked too tired to. Jack lifted him up and carried him down the stairs and into the kitchen. He had the pancakes and eggs all set out on plates so he settled Atticus in a chair before smiling at Lilabet and Benjy as they moved to get some food on their plates.

            Atticus slumped a little in his seat and he didn’t move to try and get anything to eat. “Atti,” Jack said and Atticus’s head snapped up though he still looked half-asleep. “You should get somethin’ to eat.”

            “I’m not hungry,” Atticus said and he made grabby hands for Jack. Jack stood and lifted Atticus up. He sat back down in his chair and held Atticus in his lap. He put a couple pancakes and a scoop of eggs onto his plate. He cut up his pancakes and he picked up his fork. He ate a few bites and then scooped up a bite of eggs and offered it to Atticus.

            “Just a few bites, kiddo. Please, Bud,” Jack said. Atticus whined but Jack just poked at his ribs a little. “C’mon. You know you want a little somethin’. Pancakes and eggs. Your favorite.” Atticus sighed heavily and nodded. He opened his mouth and Jack helped him to take a bite. “Atta boy.” Jack pressed a kiss to Atticus’s forehead. Every so many bites that Jack took, he had Atticus take a bite.

            “No more, Daddy. Please,” Atticus said and he buried his face in Jack’s chest.

            “Alright, Bud. You did good.”

            “Is Atticus sick?” Lilabet asked and swiped her hand over a blob of syrup that had dripped onto her chin.

            “Looks like it. So you I don’t want you goin’ back into yous’ room until I disinfect everythin’,” Jack said and rubbed Atticus’s chest when he started coughing. “Alright, let’s get you cleaned up little man, and then you’s sleepin’ in my bed.”

            Jack carried Atticus over to the sink and washed Atticus’s hands and face. He carried Atticus into the master bedroom and settled him before walking out to finish cleaning up the breakfast mess.

            “Can I go play with Atticus?” Benjy asked, holding up his dinosaur toys.

            “Sorry, B, but no. Not until he starts to feel a little better,” Jack said and ruffled Benjy’s hair.

            “When will that be?” Benjy asked and looked at the two toys he had clutched in his hands.

            “I don’t know, Benjy. But the more rest he can get, the better he should feel sooner.” Jack kissed the top of Benjy’s head. “Now, why don’t you go finish up your makeup work while I disinfect.”

            Benjy heaved a dramatic sigh before nodding. He had started to leave but he ran back to Jack and held up the raptor he’d had in his hand. “It’s Atti’s favorite,” Benjy said and Jack took it.

            “I’m sure he’ll appreciate it, B. Thank you,” Jack smiled as Benjy darted off. Jack tucked the toy into the pocket of his sweats before he went to the linen closet and pulled out the twins’ extra sheets. He stripped their beds and tossed the sheets into the laundry before he went and got the Lysol wipes and spray. He wiped everything down and sprayed anything he couldn’t wash.

            “Bedroom’s all clear, sweet pea!” Jack called. He heard feet pattering down the hall and Lilabet jumped into her own bed and curled up with a grin. “What a weirdo,” Jack muttered with a huge grin.

            “Is Atti gonna be okay?” Lilabet asked, suddenly sitting up and tossing off her quilt.

            “Of course he is,” Jack said and sat on the edge of Lilabet’s bed. “Why would you ask me that?” Jack frowned as Lilabet clambered into his lap and curled up under his chin, her heels digging into his thigh.

            “’Cause lots of kids is our class was sick. Sick for a long time.” Lilabet shrugged. “Kit was sick for a whole week, and Atti kissed ‘im on the playground.” Jack had a wash of varied emotions at that revelation but he tucked it away for another time.

            “Whether he’s sick for a long time or a short time, he’ll get better. He’s got me lookin’ out for him, and you, and Benjy, and Uncle Spot, and everybody else.”

            “Okay,” Lilabet said and she pressed a sloppy kiss to Jack’s cheek. They both turned to look at the door when they heard Atticus’s loud coughs intermixed with hiccupping noises.

            “I better check on your brother,” Jack said and kissed the top of her head. She nodded and slid off his lap to play. He headed into his bedroom and found Atticus sat up and crying between coughing fits. “Hey, hey, hey, Bud. Hey, you’re okay.” Jack sat and waited for Atticus’s crying to stop. “What’s up, little man?”

            “I need Baba,” Atticus hiccuped.

            Jack nodded. “Alright, I’ll get Baba, Bud. Calm down.” Jack brushed back Atticus’s hair and swiped the tears off of his son’s face. “Just gimme a second, alright?”

            “Okay.” Atticus wiped his snot off on his sleeve and Jack grimaced.

            “Be right back, Bud.”

            Jack headed into the twins’ room and grabbed up Baba, Atticus’s stuffed dragon, and headed back to his bedroom. “There you go. Now get some rest.” Jack tucked Atticus back in and smoothed out the covers. “Call me if you need me, I’ll be right outside.” Atticus nodded tiredly and settled to go back to sleep.

…..

            Atticus was too sick to go to school the next day. He could hardly open his eyes and stay awake, and his fever was steadily climbing. Jack had taken the others to school, giving Lilabet a note that told Mush what was going on, and he called Race.

            “What’s up, Cowboy?” Race asked.

            “I got Atticus home sick, can you tell Miss Medda that I ain’t gonna be able to come in. And she might wanna get someone to cover my classes instead of cancelin’ ‘em. I don’t know how long Atti’s gonna be sick.” Jack scratched his eyebrow with a scowl at his feet. He hated seeing the kids sick because of how miserable they looked.

            “He alright?” Race asked.

            “Yeah, just caught a bug from school,” Jack said. “He’s coughin’ a lot and he’s real tired ‘cause of his fever.”

            “You want Spot to come over after his shift and take a look at ‘im?” Race asked.

            “Nah, I think it’ll pass here in a day or two. I can manage.” Jack shifted the phone in his hand.

            “I’m sure Spot won’t mind. He’s had to deal with tons of sick kids these past couple of weeks.”

            “Which is exactly why I _don’t_ wanna bother ‘im with another one,” Jack said. “If Atticus ain’t better by Wednesday, which I doubt he won’t be, then I’ll give Spot a call.”

            “Swear, Kelly,” Race said seriously.

            “What?”

            “Swear it. I don’t want nothin’ happenin’ to that kid.”

            Jack smiled at Race’s determination. “Ain’t nothin’ gonna happen to ‘im, Race. I promise.”

            “Alright, I gotta get into work. See ya ‘round.”

            “See ya ‘round, Racer.”

…..

            Jack was rocking Atticus as his son coughed harshly and tried to catch his breath. “You’re okay, Bud. It’s okay. Daddy’s got ya,” Jack murmured softly and kept up his pacing and gentle rocking, rubbing Atticus’s back. Jack glanced at the clock and suppressed a groan. The clock blinked at him mockingly: 5:03. Atticus had fallen into a fitful sleep around 11:30 and woken up an hour later. He hadn’t been able to go back to sleep, and Jack had been up the whole night looking after him.

            Atticus had just been running a fever and coughing for the first day and half, but now he was having trouble keeping anything down, even water. The biggest problem because of that was he couldn’t keep his medicine down. Meaning his fever couldn’t go down because the medicine didn’t have enough time to get into his system.

            Jack just continued to rock Atticus as he fumbled into his pocket for his phone. He’d had Race bring the kids to school yesterday, and had Albert pick them up, so now he needed to ask Smalls to take the kids in. He’d call Medda and see if she could pick them up.

            Atticus’s coughing had died down and he was just slumped, sweaty and pitiful, against Jack’s shoulder. Jack called Smalls, knowing she was awake because she was on call tonight.

            “Hey, J. How’s Atticus?” Smalls asked.

            “Not any better, unfortunately. I was just wondering if you’d be able to take B and Lilabet to school today. I don’t wanna leave Atti alone, but-”

            “Of course, Jack. Me and Jojo can take them. You need anything else? You sound like hell, big bro.” Jack could hear the frown in her voice.

            “No, ‘m alright. I just need my little man to get better,” Jack pressed a kiss to Atticus’s forehead and Atticus smiled weakly at him.

            “Alright. I’ll see you around seven to pick ‘em up.”

            “You’re a life-saver, Smallsie. Thank you.”

            “Anything for my niblings. And just holler if you want anythin’ else. We can help you. You’s allowed to ask for help.”

            “I know,” Jack said. “I was thinkin’ about callin’ Spot later today. Once he’s off his shift.”

            “I think that’s a good idea.”

            “Alright, I’ll see ya in a bit,” Jack said and hung up, tossing his phone onto the bed.

…..

            “Alright, kiddo. We’s gonna have to take your fever down the old fashioned way,” Jack said and helped Atticus out of his pajamas so he was sitting on the bed in his underwear. Jack let him lay there while Jack stripped out of his clothes so he was standing there in his boxers too. “C’mon,” Jack said and lifted Atticus.

            He’d turned the shower on so it was spitting out warm water. Jack stuck his hand under the spray and nodded. There was just enough warmth to create a bit of steam. This would hopefully bring down Atticus’s fever and help break up the congestion in his chest and nose. Jack stepped under the spray, holding Atticus to his chest, and let the water hit his back and drip onto Atticus before he slowly turned so Atticus’s back was directly in the spray.

            “It-it’s cold, Daddy,” Atticus complained tiredly.

            “It’s not cold, Bud. You’s just real warm. But I promise this is gonna help.” Jack kissed Atticus’s damp hair. “Just for a couple of minutes and then we’ll get you dried and dressed and back in bed.” They stood there for a little bit with Atticus starting to shiver. “I know, Bud. I know.” Jack soothed.

            Atticus started sniffing and shaking and Jack knew that he was going to burst into tears any second so he shut off the water. He wrapped Atticus up in a fluffy towel and brushed a towel over his legs quickly so he wouldn’t drip all over his bedroom floor. He grabbed a set of clean pajamas and underwear for Atticus before heading back into the warm bathroom to get Atticus dressed again.

            Once that was done and Jack had Atticus in bed and tucked in snuggly, he went and dried himself off and got dressed. He was running his fingers through his hair when he heard his phone ringing. He dove for it and answered it so that it wouldn’t wake Atticus up.

            He stepped out to talk, shutting his bedroom door behind him. “Hello?” He asked quietly as he moved toward the kitchen.

            “Hey, Jack. It’s me.” Jack felt his shoulders tense as he heard Spot’s voice filtering through the phone.

            “What’s up?”

            “Race and Smalls have both called me and told me I need to call you. Is everythin’ square wit’ you?”

            “Dammit all,” Jack muttered to himself. He took a breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. “They’s just worried about Atticus. He’s got a bit of a bug and he’s havin’ a little trouble shakin’ it is all.”

            “You want me to come and take a look at ‘im?” Spot asked. “I can leave early, the ward is pretty lulled.”

            “I don’t wanna bother you, Spot.”

            “Atticus is my nephew, Jack. He ain’t no bother. I’ll clock out now and come see ya,” Spot said.

            “Alright,” Jack said quietly.

            They hung up and it was less than an hour before Spot was knocking on the door. Jack had been putting some peanut butter on graham crackers to try and get Atticus to eat a little something. Jack let Spot in and went back to what he was doing, pouring out a little cup of medicine to try and get Atticus to keep down.

            “You look like shit,” Spot said as Jack put everything on a tray so he could carry it.

            “Thanks,” Jack muttered distractedly.

            “Seriously, Jack. When’s the last time you slept?” Spot asked and touched Jack’s shoulder.

            “I got one sick kid, Spot, and two more that I’m tryin’ to keep from gettin’ sick. I ain’t got time to sleep. C’mon.” Jack nodded down the hall.

            “If you run yourself down, you’s gonna get sick and then where will the kids be.” Spot shook his head but left it there when Jack gave him a dirty look.

            Atticus was sitting up blearily when Jack and Spot came in.

            “Hey, Atti. Look who I brought to see ya,” Jack smiled and set everything down on the bedside table.

            “Uncle Spot,” Atticus said and held out his arms weakly.

            “Hey, Squirt,” Spot said and easily picked Atticus up and settled him in his lap. “You don’t look like you’s feelin’ too good.”

            “I’m not,” Atticus said and he broke off into a coughing fit that left him slumping further into Spot’s chest.

            “I know you don’t wanna, Bud, but I need you to try and eat somethin’ and take your medicine. It’ll make you feel better,” Jack coaxed but Atticus just shook his head.

            “Your dad’s right,” Spot said softly and stroked Atticus’s hair. “I know you feel real icky, but you can’t get better if your body don’t have nothin’ to run on. Just a few bites, for me?” Atticus looked up and Spot could tell he was a pin’s drop from crying.

            “I’s just gonna throw up,” Atticus whined.

            “Just try, and if you throw up we won’t make you try to eat nothin’ no more. Deal?” Spot smiled at Atticus but to Jack it was clear that Spot was worried.

            “Okay,” Atticus sighed. Jack handed him one of the crackers and Atticus took miniscule bites but after a couple of minutes he had one down. They waited for a minute before Jack had Atticus take some sips of water.

            “You’s doin’ so good,” Spot said and rubbed Atticus’s back. When Jack went to reach for another cracker Spot held up his hand. “Give it a minute, Cowboy. Let’s see if he can keep it down first.

            They waited and chatted lightly as Atticus leaned into Spot’s chest, but he kept it down. There were a few times he coughed and Jack just moved the trashcan so that if the coughing turned into throwing up, like it had been for the past day and a half, he wouldn’t throw up all over the floor.

            “Good job, Squirt,” Spot said and kissed his head. “Think you can try a little more water and some medicine?”

            “But it tastes yucky,” Atticus protested tiredly. He yawned and rubbed at his eyes.

            “I know. Medicine’s the yuckiest, but I know a magic trick. You wanna hear it?” Spot asked and Atticus nodded. “You hold your nose, close your eyes, and drink it all real quick. Can barely taste it.”

            “Promise?”

            “Scout’s honor,” Spot vowed seriously.

            “Okay,” Atticus said and Spot helped him take the medicine and then gave him a few sips of water to wash the taste away.

            “Now we wait again,” Spot said, mostly to himself.

            Jack waited, expecting Atticus to get sick at any moment but he just lightly dozed against Spot’s chest, the occasional cough waking him up.

            “I’d say that’s a good sign.” Spot said as he moved to lay Atticus down but kept him propped up. “Get some rest.”

            Atticus nodded and Spot placed a hand on Atticus’s forehead to gauge his temperature. He was pretty warm, and his face was flushed, but he was keeping food and his medicine down.

            “I think the worst has passed,” Spot said and looked at Jack. “So go and get some sleep. I’ll sit up with him for a couple of hours, and I’ll have Race pick the kids up from school.”

            “I can-” Jack started to protest.

            “Doctor’s orders,” Spot said firmly.

            “You’s only a nurse,” Jack grumbled but he got up and grabbed the extra pillow from the bed.

            “Same difference,” Spot said and he swatted Jack on the ass. Jack flipped him off before he left and slumped down onto the couch. He felt like he’d barely laid down and shut his eyes before he heard the typical noises of children inside the house.

            “Shhhh!” Lilabet hissed loudly. “Daddy’s sleeping!”

            “You shhh!” Benjy countered back, though a little quieter than his little sister. “Uncle Race said we weren’t ‘upposed to be doing our homework out here. Take everything to the kitchen.”

            “I _can’t_ ,” Lilabet protested. “Uncle Race has already set the table for dinner. There ain’t any room.”

            “Isn’t, stupid,” Benjy corrected.

            “Shuddup! I ain’t stupid!”

            “ _Aren’t_!”

            “Enough,” Jack muttered and looked at his children, his eyes slowly coming into focus. They were both knelt across from each other at the coffee table, blinking at his owlishly. “Benjy, no name-callin’, please. And Lilabet, you’s alright, sweet pea.” Jack rubbed his eyes and she moved over to curl into his side.

            “I’m sorry we woke you up, Daddy,” She said quietly.

            “Me too,” Benjy said and made his way over. Lilabet scooted until she was tucked between the slim space between Jack’s side and the back of the couch so that Benjy could take her spot.

            “It’s alright,” Jack said and rubbed their backs.

            “Uncle Spot said you haven’t been getting enough sleep,” Benjy said, sounding guilty. “Said because you didn’t have any help with us.”

            “He said that to you?” Jack asked, feeling his temper rising. He could wring Spot’s neck right now.

            “No, we overheard him say it to Uncle Race,” Lilabet said. “Just like when we overheard you tell Yaya and everybody that you had a crush on Mr. Jacobs.”

            “Eavesdroppin’ is rude,” Jack admonished.

            “We weren’t eavesdropping. Honest,” Benjy said earnestly. “We just overheard on accident.”

            “Alright,” Jack said. “C’mon and lemme up. I gotta see how Uncle Spot and Atticus are doin’ and then see what Uncle Race is doin’ to my poor kitchen.” The kids got up and moved back to doing their homework as Jack went down to poke his head in and see Atticus sleeping. He seemed a lot better and Jack smiled in relief.

            He made his way into the kitchen and Race and Spot were talking to each other quietly as Race went about making dinner.

            “Welcome back to the land of the livin’,” Race teased as he tossed oregano into the pot.

            “Thanks,” Jack said blandly. “How’s Atti doin’?”

            “Better,” Spot said from his perch on the counter. “He ain’t thrown up and I think his fever’s broke because it’s come down a lot. You’ll just have to see how he feels.”

            “Thanks for makin’ a house-call, Spot.”

            “For any of these kids: call me and I’m here.” Spot nodded to Jack. Race gave Spot a look that Jack couldn’t quite decipher but then it was gone.

            “So, I ain’t had the chance to see you both together for a while. How’s the wedding stuff goin’?” Jack asked and went to try and sneak a taste of Race’s spaghetti sauce.

            Race whacked the back of Jack’s hand with a spoon. Spot just let his head fall back with a groan and a thud as it collided with the cabinet.

            “That good, huh?” Jack asked with a laugh.

            “Who knew weddin’s was so _difficult_ ,” Spot complained. “Mama’s sayin’ one thing, Maria’s sayin’ another. Cecilia, and Isa are recommending _completely_ different things from _their_ weddin’s.” Spot rolled his eyes. “And I was at both of their weddin’s. They sucked and was borin’.”

            “Cecilia’s ceremony wasn’t that bad,” Race protested but Jack could tell his heart wasn’t really in it, he just felt he had to on behalf of his sister.

            “Race, it was a full Catholic service,” Spot said. “It was _borin’_.”

            Race opened his mouth but then just nodded in agreement.

            “Why do you gotta listen to anyone else?” Jack asked. “It’s you twos that’re the ones gettin’ married. Not everyone else.”

            They both looked at Jack like he was an idiot.

            “Or not. Guess I’s glad I didn’t marry Katherine,” Jack muttered. “I still think yous should do what _you_ want.”

            “I pity the day you get married,” Race said.

            “Shuddup,” Jack muttered.

            “Speakin’ of the weddin’,” Race said and he nudged Spot hard in the ribs. “Spottie’s got somethin’ to ask ya.”

            “Does ‘e now?” Jack asked and looked to Spot who was now banging his head lightly against the cabinets.

            “I hate you, Anthony Higgins,” Spot said.

            “Then why’re you marryin’ me?” Race asked with a grin.

            “The reasons escape me at the moment,” Spot said and kicked Race’s thigh. He took a breath and looked at Spot. “Alright,” Spot muttered. “Jack, I want you to be my best man.”

            “Really?” Jack asked.

            “Yeah,” Spot said and grinned at Jack. “What’re you stupid or somethin’? Who else would I ask? You’s my brother and my best friend, and if you tell anyone I said that, I’ll kill ya.”

            Jack laughed and nodded. “Alright ya idiot, I’ll be your best man.” Jack grinned and hugged Spot despite Spot’s customary protests and empty threats.

            “You aren’t supposed to call names, Dad,” Benjy said and Jack looked over to see Benjy and Lilabet standing in the doorway.

            “You’s right, B. I’m sorry.” Jack nodded and stepped on his smile a little.

            “Dinner’s almost ready, kiddos,” Race said. “You wanna go wash up?”

            “Nope,” they both said in unison.

            “Well go do it anyway,” Race said and waved them off.  They both sighed dramatically but went about what they’d been asked to do.

            “You wanna get Atticus or should I?” Spot asked.

            “Should we wake ‘im up?” Jack asked.

            “He really needs to get some food in ‘im, and his fever’s down so I think it won’t hurt ‘im.” Spot nodded.

            “I’ll get ‘im then.” Jack patted Spot’s shoulder and went to go and wake Atticus up.

…..

            Dinner was nice and Atticus obviously felt a lot better. He still picked at his food and sat in Race’s lap, leaning against him heavily sometimes, but he was smiling and laughing. Jack thanked Race and Spot again once dinner was finished and cleaned up.

            “I ain’t got any classes tomorrow if you wanna go in and lemme watch Atticus,” Race said. “Spot says he’s through the worst and now we just gotta wait until he ain’t got a fever no more.”

            “Yeah, I think I’d like that,” Jack said. “I’ve been worried how the kids have been doin’ with a sudden shift. I know some of ‘em don’t like stuff like that.”

            Race nodded. “I’ll show up here at the time you take the other two to school and then you can go to work.” Jack nodded and once they got everything settled, Jack walked them out. Race sent Spot ahead. “Can I make a request, Jack?”

            “Of course,” Jack said with a furrow in his brow, not sure where this was going.

            “Bring a date to the weddin’. You got plenty o’ time to find one. I just wanna see you with someone other than the munchkins.” Race gave Jack a serious look.

            “Lemme think about it,” Jack said. Immediately Davey had sprung into his mind but his stomach knotted up at the thought of seeing Davey after Lilabeth had blabbed.

            Race just nodded and walked to his car. Jack waited until they’d left the driveway before he headed back inside, locking the door behind him.

            Jack made his way down the hall and he was as quiet as could be as he got ready for bed. Atticus was supposed to be sleeping, but when Jack laid down in bed, Atticus moved to Jack’s side. “You’re supposed to be asleep, Bud.”

            “I know,” Atticus said and he curled up, his fingers knotting into Jack’s t-shirt.

            Jack just nodded and they were both quiet for a long time.

            “Do you think you love Mr. Jacobs, Daddy?” Atticus asked.

            “I dunno,” Jack shrugged, jostling Atticus’s head a little. “We ain’t spent a lot of time together, Atti. It takes time to really fall in love like that with somebody. That’s why grown-ups go on dates.”

            Atticus hummed. “Okay.” There was quiet. “But _could_ you fall in love with Mr. Jacobs?”

            “I think I could,” Jack admitted quietly. “Would you be okay with that if I did?”

            “I like ‘im. So does Lilabet and Benjy, though he don’t seem like it sometimes.” Atticus shrugged. “As long as he loves you like you love him, I think I’d be okay.”

            “Go to sleep,” Jack said and kissed Atticus’s forehead.

            Atticus yawned and did as he was told. Jack rubbed his back and stared at the ceiling: thinking. The kids seemed to be alright with the idea of him dating, so was there any reason that he shouldn’t?

            It was a long time before Jack could fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've been feeling really nasty so I decided to have Jack deal with a sick Atticus. Hope y'all like!  
> -James


	7. Fights

            Jack pressed a kiss to Atticus’s head where Atticus was still lying asleep. He grabbed up his work bag and walked out quietly. Race was in the kitchen, making sure Benjy and Lilabet were finishing up their breakfast. “Thank you for watching Atticus for me,” Jack said.

            “Don’t worry about it, Cowboy. You just get the kids to school and your class back in check,” Race said with a nod.

            “Will do,” Jack said. “C’mon kiddos, time to hit the road.” The kids nodded and handed their cereal bowls to Race before grabbing up their backpacks and putting on their shoes. Jack made sure they had on coats before they all walked out to the car. Jack dropped them off at school and then made his way into work.

            He was excited to get back to the kids he worked with. He had his older students that morning and he knew that getting back into routine would probably be hardest with these kids. He was right when Hot Shot and Willie were already at each other’s throats when they came in. Jack separated them as he normally did and got the kids started on some simple drawing exercises so he could just watch the atmosphere of the room and gauge where the kids were all at emotionally.

            Jack had looked away for hardly a moment before he heard the punch and the sound of an easel being knocked over. Willie and Hot Shot were rolling around on the floor in a heap of flailing limbs. “Hey! Break it up!” Jack shouted and he moved over to pull the boys apart. He had wrenched Willie away straddling Hot Shot when the fist collided with his eye. He hissed in pain and out of reflex he dropped his hold on Willie to cover his eye. “Shit,” Jack hissed and he pulled the boys apart, pushing Willie farther back. “Enough!!” Jack glared as best he could at the two boys. “What is this about?”

            The boys just glared at each other but when Willie looked at Jack he immediately looked at his feet, shame mingling with the frustration.

            “Willie, what’s this about?” Jack asked and glanced between the two boys. Hot Shot was just glaring at Willie, not even sparing a glance to Jack. “Somebody better start talkin’.”

            “It’s nothin’,” Willie muttered and he swiped at his eyes.

            “You’s’re tellin’ me that was over nothin’?” Jack asked. Both boys just kept quiet. “Alright, I’ve had enough of yous two.” Jack scowled and he pulled Hot Shot up off the floor. “Into my office, now.” Both boys looked worried but Jack just pointed to the office in the back corner of the room. “Now. You twos, me, and Miss Medda are gonna have a little chat.” The boys both headed toward Jack’s office. Jack took a deep breath, mollified the rest of the class, and then went to get Medda and Crutchie.

            “What the hell happened?” Medda asked and tilted Jack’s chin down so she could get a look at his face.

            “I got punched by Hot Shot. I need you to come and talk to these boys with me,” Jack said. “They’s in my office, but I need to get Crutchie to supervise the rest of the class.”

            “He’s upstairs finishing up at PT session with one of the girls,” Medda said.

            “I’ll go get ‘im. Be right back,” Jack said and he went up into Crutchie’s office. “Hey, Crutch?” Jack poked his head in and smiled at the little girl that Crutchie had working through some dexterity exercises.

            “What’s up, Jack?” Crutchie asked and helped the girl slide down from the table.

            “You done, or am I interrupting?” Jack asked.

            “Just finished up. Whattya need?” Crutchie asked.

            “For you to look after my class. I gotta have a conference with two of my boys with Miss Medda.” Crutchie cringed but nodded.

            “I’ll look after ‘em after I return this little gal to her mama downstairs,” Crutchie said. “C’mon, let’s go.”

            “Thanks, Crutch.” Jack headed back downstairs to get back to his class. The kids were talking and looking at the office despite Medda encouraging them to get back to work. “Crutchie’s comin’, let’s get this over with.” Jack tucked his hands in his back pockets and headed toward his office, Medda following behind him. He’d expected the boys to be sulking since he couldn’t hear shouting, what he got was Willie being pressed up against the edge of Jack’s desk with Hot Shot’s tongue in his mouth.

            Jack’s brain shorted for a second as he tried to wrap his brain around what the hell was going on.

            “Boys,” Medda said and cleared her throat. The two teenagers broke apart and Willie’s face was scarlet as he pushed Hot Shot away from him.

            “God help me,” Jack groaned before he went to sit at his desk. “What’re you two doin’?”

            “I thought it was pretty obvious what wes was doin’, Dr. Kelly,” Hot Shot said with a grin.

            “Don’t get smart,” Medda said sternly.

            “Why’re you twos always fightin’ if you’re… doin’ other stuff,” Jack said and he did not what to think about what might have happened to his desk if he hadn’t come in.

            Willie and Hot Shot both shrugged.

            “Why can’t you two ever seem to get along?” Medda asked, her hands on her hips.

            “We get on each other’s nerves,” Willie said.

Hot Shot shrugged. “We don’t get along very well, but that doesn’t mean I can’t think Willie’s hot.”

            Medda frowned and Jack couldn’t find any words. The moment was long, silent, and awkward as hell. Jack finally sighed and rubbed at his sore eye. “Alright, I’ve got no clue how to respond to _that_ but what I do know is that you twos can’t keep fightin’ in sessions anymore. It’s not good for the other kids, it ain’t good for the two of yous, and I’m _not_ gettin’ punched again.” Jack gave them both stern looks. “Here’s my assignment for the two of you,” Jack said and took a breath. “You have to do portraits of each other. You can do it in whatever materials you like, but for this I need you two to be able to really _look at_ and start to _understand_ each other. No more fightin’ or I’m gonna have both of ya kicked outta my class. Which we all know is gonna violate your parole, Hot Shot and get Wille into trouble with his foster mother.” Jack tucked his hands into his pockets. “Am I understood?”

            Both boys glanced at each other, a short and silent conversation going on between them, before they nodded in unison.

            “We’ll behave, Dr. Kelly,” Willie said meekly.

            “An’ I’s sorry about your eye. I was aimin’ for Willie,” Hot Shot said. Jack took a breath to say something but just let it out slowly. The apology, while not _exactly_ what Jack had been looking for, had been sincere, and for Hot Shot it was progress.

            “I’m alright. Ain’t the first black eye I’ve gotten and probably won’t be the last,” Jack said and gestured for both boys to rejoin the class. Jack sighed heavily when they were both gone but he only had a moment of respite.

            “You should get something on that eye, baby,” Medda said.

            “I’ve got a class to get back to,” Jack said and waved her off. “It’ll be fine.”

…..

            Jack had barely gotten into work the next morning when he got a call on his office phone. He lifted the phone to his ear and cradled it between his cheek and shoulder so he could scrub the paint off his arms. “Dr. James S. Kelly, what can I do for ya?”

            “Dr. Kelly, we have Benjamin up in the office. He’s been in a fight.”

            “What?” Jack frowned. That didn’t sound like Benjy, Lilabet maybe, but never Benjy.

            “We need you to come down to the school. He won’t talk to anyone, says he’ll only explain to you.”

            “I’m on my way now,” Jack said and hung up. “Mama, I’ll be back!”

            “You better come straight back!” Medda called from her office as Jack jogged past to head out to his car.

            Jack tapped his fingers on the wheel impatiently as he drove. He couldn’t understand what Benjy was thinking. He parked and he headed inside, to the office. He brushed his hair back from his eyes and slipped inside. “I’m Dr. Kelly, Benjy’s… Benjamin’s father. Where is he?” Jack asked the secretary. She nodded toward the nurse’s office, so Jack headed inside. Benjy was sitting on a chair with an ice pack pressed to the side of his face. “B, you alright?”

            “I’m okay, Daddy,” Benjy said though it was muffled a little by his swollen lip.

            “What happened?” Jack moved over to crouch next to his son.

            “I was pushing Atticus on the swing at recess, ‘cause he still can’t swing by himself really good, and Noah came up,” Benjy started, his eyes down on his shoes, “and he told Atticus to get outta the swing. But Atti told him he had to wait his turn. I’d stopped pushing Atticus because I wasn’t sure what to do ‘cause Noah’s my friend, but Atti’s my brother.” Benjy swiped at tears that were rolling down his cheeks. “But then Noah grabbed Atticus and pushed him to the ground and called him a bad word.”

            “What did he say, B?” Jack asked with a frown.

            “I can’t say it,” Benjy said, his voice barely above a whisper. “It’s the bad one that starts with an f. The one Uncle Race gets real mad about.”

            Jack felt his face heat up in anger. He knew exactly what word Noah had called Atticus. “What happened then?” Jack had to clench his hands to keep his voice from wavering in anger.

            “I told him to leave Atticus alone and not to say that bad word again,” Benjy said. “He told me that he was ‘llowed to say whatever he wanted. I told him he wasn’t ‘llowed to say that word to _my_ brother ever again. I said he should shut his big mouth.” Benjy looked a little sheepish. “Then… well then he told me to make ‘im. So… so I did.”

            “That’s when you hit ‘im?” Jack asked just to make sure.

            “He called Atticus that dirty word!” Benjy protested, nearly dropping his ice pack in his righteous anger.

            “B, I’m not upset with you, I was just askin’ to make sure that it was _after_ he called Atticus the dirty word.” Jack patted Benjy’s knee. “What happened after that?”

            “Mr. Jacobs came over and split us up.” Benjy shrugged and his eyes were back down on his shoes.

            “Where are Atticus and Mr. Jacobs now?”

            “Atticus only got a scrape on his elbow so they gave him a band-aid and he went back to class. He tried to tell them it was his fault but I said that it wasn’t, that it was my fault and Atticus was just there. I didn’t want him to get into any trouble.”

            “You protected Atticus, B. I’m proud of you,” Jack said and leaned forward to press a kiss to Benjy’s forehead.

            “Mr. Jacobs in is the principal’s office with the principal, and Noah, and Noah’s mom and dad.”

            “Alright,” Jack said. He looked Benjy over and laughed humorlessly at how he and Benjy would have matching black eyes. He gently replaced the icepack back to Benjy’s face before he stood. “I’m gonna go see what the hell is goin’ on. Stay here.”

            Jack walked over to the principal’s office and he knocked on the door. There was a dip in the muffled conversation and Jack smoothed out his shirt. The door opened and Jack made sure to look his most stern and determined.

            “Come in, Dr. Kelly. I was wondering when you’d show up.” Jack had to take a breath to keep his cool.

            “I came straight from work, Mr. Weisel. I was just checkin’ on my son.” Jack had to force a smile. He’d never really cared for the oily principal of his kids’ school.

            Jack heard someone suck in their breath through their teeth and he flicked his eyes over to where Davey was biting his lip, concern obvious in his face.

            “Well just look at him! No wonder his kid acts so monstrously!” Jack turned to look at the man who’d spoken. He took in the nice shirt, sweater and khakis. The man obviously had money and Jack hated his life.

            “Excuse me?” Jack asked politely. “I’m not sure I understand what you’re gettin’ at Mr…?”

            “Jones,” the man said with obvious distaste. “What I mean is that it’s no surprise your child turns to violence when it’s obvious you do as well.”

            “And how do you figure that?”

            “You have a black eye,” Mr. Jones said blandly.

            “I would just like to say, not that I’ve gotta explain myself to you, that I got this black eye from working with disadvantaged kids with behavioral problems. It was from breakin’ up a fight, not startin’ one.” Jack had to say it was satisfying to see the man squirm uncomfortably at that little revelation.

            “Dr. Kelly, please,” Mr. Weisel said passively.

            “I’m sorry sir, but I’m not just gonna stand here and listen to this man, who don’t know nothin’ about me or my son, call my son’s actions ‘monstrous’ when what his son said to my younger boy was nothin’ compared to what Benjy did to Noah,” Jack said with an edge to his voice. He turned back to the Jones’s. “Did Noah tell you what he called my son, Atticus? Hm?”

            Both Mr. and Mrs. Jones looked at each other and then at Noah who had slowly started to sink down in his chair, his face nearly as red as his hair.

            “Well…” Mrs. Jones said before she tittered nervously. “You know how boys can be sometimes…”

            Jack couldn’t hold back his snort.

            “Jack,” Davey hissed, obviously disapproving.

            Jack shook his head. “Ask ‘im what he called Atticus. Go ahead.”

            Both the Joneses looked at their son. “Noah?” Mr. Jones asked sharply.

            “I… I…” Noah looked down at his shoes. “I called ‘im… well, it’s just something I heard someone say I don’t really know what it really means…”

            “What did you say, baby?” Mrs. Jones asked.

            “I called Atticus, that’s Benjy’s little brother,” Noah explained, obviously stalling. “Well, I called him… uh-well… Icalledhimafaggot!”

            The room was silent.

            “Noah, where did you hear such a nasty word?” Davey asked, obviously shocked that one of his seven/eight year old students would know, let alone say, such a word.

            Noah glanced at his father, who was starting to get red in the face, before shrugging. “Just… around.”

            Davey must have caught the look too because he turned on the Joneses. “I won’t tolerate that kind of language in my classroom, nor do I think any of the other teachers will.”

            “I don’t understand what everyone is so upset about,” Mr. Jones said. “Noah just said he doesn’t know what the word means.”

            “Then you’re as dumb as you look,” Jack snapped. “I think he knows what it means and I think he used it exactly the way he’s heard it used.”

            “Now, now, Dr. Kelly,” Mr. Weisel said. “Calm down.”

            “Calm down?” Jack snapped. “You want me to calm down after this boy has used one of the nastiest slurs to talk about my five year old son because he wouldn’t give up his _swing_? What the hell kind of school are you runnin’ ‘ere?” Jack asked. “Atticus and Benjy are both smart boys who have grown up in queer households, they know _exactly_ what the word means and how it’s been used against people like their dad and their moms.” Jack heard a chuckle and he turned to glare at Mr. Jones. “Somethin’ about this funny to you, sir?”

            “Oh no, nothing,” Mr. Jones said. “Just that it only proves my point. No child could grow up normal without a steady household. So I don’t blame Benjy now for acting the way he did.”

            Jack was floored. “Did you really just-?”

            “I think I’ve heard enough,” Mr. Weisel interjected. “Noah will be serve an in-school suspension, while Benjy is suspended for two days.”       

            “What?” Jack asked incredulously.

            “He started the fight, Dr. Kelly,” Mr. Weisel said simply.

            Jack went to snap back with something but Davey cut in. “Why don’t you and I talk, Dr. Kelly.” He grabbed Jack’s arm and practically hauled Jack out of the office. Jack yanked his arm free of Davey’s grip once they were in a back room, a copy room it looked like.

            “What the hell, Davey?” Jack snapped.

            “Losing your cool wouldn’t fix anything, Jack,” Davey said. “Look…” Davey sighed and swiped a hand over his face, “I get that guys like that just boil your blood-”

            “Do you?” Jack snapped.

            “Well since I’m pretty damn gay, yes I do!” Davey shot back. Jack blinked at the revelation. “Listen, all I’m saying is that it’s not good for you to fight with the principal and it’s not going to help Benjamin, okay?”

            Jack let the tension drop from his shoulders. “Alright… fine.”

            “I… I’m so sorry, Jack,” Davey said.

            “It’s not your fault, Dave,” Jack said and gave Davey a weak smile. “I guess…. I guess I’m just particularly sensitive about people pickin’ on Atticus like that.” Davey raised on eyebrow and Jack swallowed thickly. “I guess I’m going to have to explain.”

            “I’d be nice to have the whole picture.”

            “Atticus is trans, Davey,” Jack said quietly. There was a ringing silence that felt like a chasm between them. “I just… it’s already so hard to be a kid and here’s this… this precious little boy and he just has to take so much _shit_ just because he’s got the guts to be who he is. And I hate it for him, that he has to go through all this. That people are gonna look at him funny. That people are gonna act like there’s somethin’ wrong with him, because there isn’t! He’s a sweet, gentle, shy, smart boy. And yeah, what Benjy did was wrong, but I’m not gonna punish him. He stuck up for his baby brother! How many parents can say that got kids that’ll do that?” Jack swiped at his eyes, hating that there were tears there. “And if that makes Benjy a bad kid, then I don’t want a good one. And if it makes me a bad parent to say that, it won’t be the first time I’s ever been called that.”

            “Jack…” Davey said quietly and he brushed his fingers against Jack’s wrist. “I didn’t know, I’m so sorry…”

            “Yeah…” Jack said and swiped at his eyes again.

            “I don’t think you’re a bad father, Jack. I think you’re a great one, and Benjamin and Elizabeth and Atticus are all amazing children,” Davey said.

            “Thanks,” Jack said.

            “And you’re pretty great too,” Davey said shyly.

            “Is that so?” Jack asked, cracking a smile.

            “Yeah,” Davey said.

            Jack hadn’t realized it but they had been moving closer together as they’d spoken. “This is gonna sound awful,” Jack said quietly, “but I didn’t know you were gay.”

            “I’m sorry, maybe I should dress in head to toe rainbow and glitter to make it more obvious for you next time,” Davey laughed.

            “I’d appreciate it,” Jack teased. He couldn’t help when his eyes flicked down to Davey’s mouth.

            “What are you thinking?” Davey asked quietly.

            “I…” Jack felt his cheeks getting hot, “I’m thinking that I’d really like to kiss you.”

            Davey’s eyes went down to Jack’s mouth and stayed there. “Great minds think alike,” Davey said with a weak chuckle.

            “So they do,” Jack said.

            Jack wasn’t really sure who leaned into who but soon Davey’s lips were on his and it was even better than Jack could have imagined. His hands landed on Davey’s hips and Jack couldn’t help but lean into Davey’s touch when Davey wrapped his arms around Jack’s neck. Jack made a, frankly, embarrassing noise as Davey’s fingers toyed with the short hair at the nape of his neck.

            They pulled away from each other reluctantly and Jack couldn’t help the big smile on his face.

            “I should go get Benjy from the nurse’s office,” Jack said.

            “And I should get back to my class,” Davey said and smoothed down Jack’s hair that he’d mussed. Jack nodded and brushed his nose against Davey’s before leaning away. Jack stepped away and he hated how cold he felt suddenly. “I’ll text you,” Davey said as he thumbed at his bottom lip which, Jack noted with a hint of pride, was a little kiss-swollen.

            “Perfect,” Jack said. He ducked out of the copy room and headed to get Benjy. He was laying on a cot, the ice pack still pressed to his face, but he sat up when Jack walked in. “We’re takin’ you home, champ.”

            Benjy nodded somberly and put the ice pack away. He grabbed his backpack and Jack guided him out of the school by the shoulder. Jack drove back to work and he was ushering Benjy toward his office when they crossed paths with Race. “What happened to you two?” Race asked glancing between them. Jack guess Race hadn’t heard about the sucker punch from Hot Shot the day before.

            “Don’t ask,” Benjy and Jack said in unison.

            “It’s a long story, Racer,” Jack sighed and swiped a hand over his face. “Well, Benjy’s part. My part is just that I got clocked by Hot Shot yesterday.”

            “I didn’t notice it yesterday, he musta got ya good,” Race said and squinted at Jack’s face.

            “Yeah,” Jack said. “Benjy here is gonna be off school for a coupla days.”

            “What’d ya do?” Race asked with a frown.

            “I don’t wanna talk about it,” Benjy grumbled.

            “Alright fine, but hows about you come and play in my class for today, huh?” Race asked and grinned. “It’s better than sittin’ in your dad’s office isn’t it?”

            “Can I?” Benjy asked and looked at Jack excitedly.

            “Yeah, B. Just… behave, alright?” Jack asked and Benjy nodded. Jack ruffled Benjy’s hair and went towards his classroom. He felt something light in his chest and he practically skipped back to his office.

            His phone chimed as he was setting up for his class.

_From: Unknown Number_

_It’s Davey._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here it is! FINALLY! I knew I wanted to get this chapter done soon but especially since today his Valentines Day. So this is my gift to you guys!  
> -James


	8. First Date???

_From: Hot For Teacher_

_Do you have any plans for this weekend?_

_To: Hot For Teacher_

_I’ve gotta take Benjy to little league practice._

            Jack tucked his phone into his pocket. “C’mon! We’s gotta go!” The kids sprinted down the stairs. Lilabet and Atticus were pulling on their sneakers while Benjy dug around for his cleats. “Found ‘em?” Jack asked and moved over to give Benjy his glove, freshly broken in.

            “Got ‘em!” Benjy said and held them up.

            “Alright, put ‘em on and we’ll go,” Jack said and ruffled Benjy’s hair tucking his faded ball cap into his back pocket. He ushered the kids towards the car. His phone chimed and he pulled it out of his pocket.

_From: Baby Mama :)_

_Is it alright if me and Sarah come to Benjy’s practice._

_To: Baby Mama :)_

_Of course, Kath. He’s your son too._

            “Mama’s comin’ to your practice, B,” Jack said.

            “Really?” Benjy asked excitedly.

            “She just texted me,” Jack said. “And Ima Sarah is comin’ too.” Jack smiled as he saw Benjy’s grin get even bigger. The kids had talked with Katherine and Sarah on the phone, but Jack hadn’t felt fully comfortable leaving them there after what had happened with Katherine’s father.

            They got to the ball park and Jack made sure that Atticus and Lilabet were okay on the playground before he watched Benjy go out onto the field. He put his cap on and settled in the bleachers.

            He waved at Katherine and Sarah when they walked into the park. They both smiled and made their way over. Katherine sat between Jack and Sarah. “Where’re the twins?”

            “On the playground, I’s sure that in a minute we’s gonna have to put a band-aid on somethin’,” Jack laughed.

            “Probably,” Sarah laughed and flicked her hair away from her eyes.

            “So, what’s new, pussycat?” Katherine asked and both Jack and Sarah wrinkled their noses at the stale reference.

            “Not much,” Jack said, but at the thought of his kiss with Davey he grinned.

            “Oooh,” Sarah said. “Spill. I know that smile. That’s your ‘somethin’ ‘appened’ smile.” Jack pulled a face at Sarah mimicking his accent.

            “It’s no big deal,” Jack shrugged and smiled as Benjy moved to stand at his spot as short-stop.

            “That doesn’t look like no big deal,” Katherine said and nodded to the smile on Jack’s face.

            “I just… I kissed this guy, alright?” Jack adjusted his cap and both the girls grinned at him.

            “You’re dating,” Sarah said proudly.

            This was where Jack got a little sheepish. “Well… we ain’t exactly _been_ on a date yet.”

            “You kissed a guy you haven’t even been on a date with?” Katherine asked.

            “Well… it sounds bad when you say it like _that_ ,” Jack said. “I just… I wanna go on a date with ‘im, but I just… I gotta have time to go on dates.”

            “You know we can babysit, or Spot and Race could, or Miss Medda,” Katherine pointed out.

            “I know, but… it’s been a while since I’s been on a date,” Jack said and rubbed the back of his neck.

            “Daddy!!” Jack and Katherine rolled their eyes as Atticus and Lilabet ran over, sporting identical skinned knees.

            “I got band-aids,” Jack said and dug them out of his pocket. He covered their cuts and let Lilabet clamber into his lap while Atticus crawled up into the small gap between Sarah and Katherine.

            “Let’s just take a break and just watch Benjy practice,” Katherine said and smoothed Atticus’s hair back from his eyes. “How’s that sound?”

            “Good,” Atticus said and leaned his cheek against Katherine’s shoulder. She smiled and pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head. Jack felt something warm in his chest at the way that Atticus and Katherine were interacting. He’d worried that Atticus would be upset with Katherine over what had happened with Pulitzer.

            “Daddy,” Lilabet started, “when will me and Atticus get to play?”

            “Next year,” Jack said and steadied her as she shifted to look at him. “If you still want to by then.”

            “I will,” Lilabet said primly.

…..

            “So when’s Benjy’s first game?” Race asked, not looking up from the binder filled with suits he was flipping through.

            “Next Friday,” Jack said and frowned at the awful suit Race was considering. “Ugh, not that one Racer. That’s terrible.”

            Race hummed. “It was my mother’s pick.”

Jack winced. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean-”

            “No,” Race said and held up his hand. “You’s right, and Spot would hate it too.”

            “You’s’re gonna get matchin’ tuxes?” Jack asked.

            “You think we should get different?” Race asked.

            “I think you both should pick the suit yous like best. Somethin’ yous’ll be comfortable in,” Jack said and he moved to stand behind Race to flip through. “Somethin’ like this for you,” Jack said and pointed.

            “ _Mamma_ will hate it,” Race said but his eyes had lit up which was something they hadn’t done since they’d started.

            “But do _you_ like it?” Jack asked.

            “Yeah,” Race said and traced his fingers over the intricate floral pattern.

            “Then alright,” Jack said and put a sticky tab with Race’s name on the page. “Now you’ve just gotta get Spot’s ass into gear to get his picked out.”

            Race snorted bitterly. “He’s been avoiding weddin’ stuff like the plague.”

            “Whattya mean?” Jack asked with a frown.

            “Spot ain’t sold on havin’ a real weddin’ since it seems to be stressin’ me, my mother, and Miss Medda out. Though I gots ta say, Miss Medda’s been takin’ it a lot better than my mother.” Race rolled his eyes. “Spot does nothin’ but makes jokes about elopin’.”

            “He wouldn’t actually do that,” Jack said and then he thought about it. “Nevermind, I take back everythin’ I just said.”

            Race laughed.

…..

            “PICK A DAMN SUIT PATRICK SCOTT CONLON!!!” Jack shouted from upstairs.

            “GO TO HELL JAMES SAWYER KELLY!!!” Spot shouted back, but Jack could hear him grumbling to himself so Jack knew he was doing it anyway. Jack finished up packing the kids’ bags so they could go to Katherine’s after Benjy’s game. Jack’s phone chimed as he was sticking Baba into Atticus’s bag.

_From: Hot For Teacher_

_Hey._

_To: Hot For Teacher_

_Hey yousself_

_From: Hot For Teacher_

_What’re you doing tonight?_

_To: Hot For Teacher_

_Benjy’s first game is tonight._

_From: Hot For Teacher_

_Damn. I was going to ask you out. But you’re busy it’s okay._

Jack bit his lip and tapped his phone against his chin for a moment. He slowly decided to go ahead and give it a shot.

_To: Hot For Teacher_

_Do you wanna come? I know we haven’t had a real date and it’d probably be really boring, but we could grab dinner afterwards. The kids’re goin’ with Kath for the weekend._

_From: Hot For Teacher_

_Are you sure? Your kids won’t mind?_

_To: Hot For Teacher_

_I’m sure that as long as you scream and get excited in the right moments, Benjy won’t mind ;)_

_To: Hot For Teacher_

_But I get it if it’s weird to go to a kid’s ball game when it ain’t your kid and it’s a crappy first date but…_

_From: Hot For Teacher_

_Jack, it sounds like fun. As long as it’s not weird for you or the kids, it’s not weird for me._

            Jack felt his stomach dip and he smiled at the message. He jumped when he felt a boot connect with his elbow.

            “What’re you? Thirteen?” Spot snorted nodding to the way Jack had been grinning like a dope down at his phone.

            “Shuddup,” Jack muttered. “You comin’ to Benjy’s game?”

            “Damn straight,” Spot said with a lopsided grin. “Me and Racer both.”

            “Oh…. Okay,” Jack said and shifted on his feet.

            “What? You don’t wan’ us showin’ up?” Spot asked and raised an eyebrow.

            “No it’s not that!” Jack said quickly and shoved his phone back into his pocket so he could rake his hands through his hair. “It’s just… this might also maybe, technically be a date.” Jack winced but Spot just nodded.

            “Alright,” Spot said. “You gonna wear that?” Spot gestured to Jack’s faded, paint-stained jeans and ratty hoodie.

            “Uh… I’m guessin’ by that tone I should change,” Jack said and Spot just nodded.

            “You’s lucky you gots a gay brother,” Spot said and rolled his eyes.

            “Damn straight,” Jack said and winked as he moved over to his closet.

…..

            An hour and three outfits later had Jack finally passing Spot’s inspection. He was in a form-hugging t-shirt and his darkest, and least paint-stained, pair of blue jeans. Spot had even made Jack shower and change his underwear. Jack rolled his eyes as he combed his hair to make it charmingly messy.

            “C’mon, we gots to get the kiddos,” Spot said.

            “You know that you’s gonna have to pick a suit before the game to appease Race,” Jack said seriously. “You can’t stall forever.”

            “I can try,” Spot said.

            Jack shook his head as he pulled his shoes on. “You’s the one that asked ‘im to marry you. Why’re you bein’ a baby about it now?”

            “It’s just… too _much_. Maria and Racer and Mama just houndin’ me about every little detail. I honestly don’t _care_ what flowers are in the damn centerpieces, I just want to marry Racer because I _love_ him.”

            “Have ya tol’ ‘im that?” Jack asked as they went out to the car.

            “Hell no,” Spot snorted. “I gotta keep up my tough guy reputation.”

            Jack gave him a look. “Says the guy who cried when he held his niece and nephews for the first time.”

            “Shuddup.”

            Jack grinned as they drove in companionable silence to the kids’ school. Jack got out and walked with Spot to his normal place. The kids came out and were chattering with Spot excitedly. Jack looked up from where the kids were clinging onto Spot to see Davey standing talking to another teacher. Jack couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face but soon he felt his face heating up with embarrassment when Davey looked over and caught him staring.

            Davey smiled though and waved, so Jack waved back. “I’ll be right back,” Jack said to Spot and walked over to Davey. “Hey, Dave.”

            “Afternoon, Jack.” Davey smiled as he tucked his hands into his pockets. “So, you want to meet at the field?”

            “Yeah, that sounds great.” Jack shifted on his feet. “Lemme just, uh, give you the address.”

            “Oh yeah, of course, because I don’t know where it is and you do and it’d be weird if I didn’t know where it was and tried to find it because that’s super weird and-”

            “Davey,” Jack said with a smile tugging at his mouth. “If I could borrow your phone for a second.” Davey just nodded, his face red, before he handed the phone over. Jack tapped the address into Davey’s notes. “There. Now we’s all set.”

            “Great,” Davey said and put his phone back into his pocket.

            “Game starts at 5:30. Don’t be late,” Jack said with a grin.

            “Wouldn’t dream of it,” Davey said. “I’ll see you at 5:30.”

            “You will.”

…..

            Jack moved over to Benjy’s room and knocked on his son’s door. “Hey, B. Can I talk to ya for a second?”

            “Yeah,” Benjy said and pushed away his homework sheet that he’d been doing.

            Jack closed the door and sat down on the floor next to his son. “You said that if Mr. Jacobs liked me, that it was alright if I took him on dates and we did all that icky stuff.”

            “Yeah…” Benjy said and eyed his father.

            “You still okay with that?” Jack asked. When Benjy nodded, Jack took a deep breath. “I invited Mr. Jacobs to your game… as a date. Are you gonna be okay with _that_?”

            Benjy looked down at his lap and twisted his hands in his shirt. “You _really_ like him?”

            Jack laughed lightly and nodded. “I really do, Benjy.”

            Benjy studied Jack’s face for a moment and then smiled. “Okay. But don’t screw it up, Dad, or it’ll be awkward for me until school ends.”

            Jack laughed again and ruffled Benjy’s hair. “I’ll try not to, champ.”

            “Have you told Lilabet and Atti yet?” Benjy asked and leaned into Jack’s shoulder.

            “You think I should?” Jack asked and wrapped his arm around his son’s shoulders.

            “Yeah. They like Mr. Jacobs and all, but I think you should tell ‘em.”

            “You’s a smart kid, you know? Pro’ly too smart for your own good,” Jack said.

            “I know.”

            Jack grinned and shook his head before he stood. “Alright, I’ll tell ‘em. Why don’t you get all your stuff ready to go so when we gotta go we can just go.”

            “Sure thing,” Benjy said and went to get his uniform laid out and to get his glove and bat.

            Jack walked to the twins’ room and knocked on their door before walking in. They were both huddled around a board game they were playing. “Is it time to go?” Lilabet asked and bounced excitedly.

            “Not yet, sweet pea. I gotta talk to you and Atticus about somethin’ first. C’mere.” Jack sat and patted his knee. The twins got up and made their way over and perched themselves in Jack’s lap, holding onto his shoulders for support.

            Jack took in their little faces and smiled at them. They both had round little noses that were starting to be smattered with their spring/summer freckles and their eyes, sparking with curiosity, were the same color as Jack’s. “Is it alright that I invited Mr. Jacobs to Benjy’s game… as a date.”

            Both of them broke into excited chatter immediately and were tugging on Jack’s shirt collar.

            “Alright, alright. One at a time,” Jack said and pried Atticus’s fingers from stretching out his shirt.

            “Are you gonna get married like Uncle Race and Uncle Spot?” Atticus asked.

            “Don’t be silly, Atti. They’s gotta do all the dating stuff first, _then_ they’ll get married,” Lilabet said with a grin. “Right, Daddy?”

            “Whoa, you’s’re gettin’ way ahead o’ me here. This is our first date, let’s just get through this and see where we’s at. Alright?”

            They both nodded.

            “So you twos are alright with this? With me datin’ Mr. Jacobs?”

            “Of course, Daddy. You really like ‘im,” Atticus said and patted Jack’s cheek.

            “Alright.” Jack smiled and blew raspberries into their cheeks before he nodded for them to go back to playing. “I’ll come get yous when we’s ready to leave.”

            Jack went back out to the dining room where Spot was flipping through the binders of tuxedos. “So found anythin’ yet. You only gots an hour,” Jack said.

            “I mean, kinda,” Spot said and bit his lip. “It’s flashy though.”

            “Lemme see,” Jack said and Spot pointed to a red metallic jacket. Jack sized Spot up and then nodded. “I’d say ditch the tie and where a black shirt and it’ll be perfect.”

            “Damn… you’s right,” Spot said with a faint smile. It quickly faded. “Maria’s gonna hate it though.”

            “I already told Race this,” Jack said and clapped Spot on the shoulder. “Just get what yous want. It’s yous’ weddin’.”

            “And he said okay to that?” Spot asked.

            “He did.”

            “Alright then,” Spot said and stuck a tab to with his name to the page.

            Jack checked his watch. “We’s gotta go. C’mon kiddos! Grab your bags to go to Mama’s!”

            “We’s comin’!” Lilabet shouted and the kids came down the stairs with their backpacks to go to Kath’s. Jack and Spot managed to wrangle all the kids into the car. Benjy was getting nervous and kept picking at a loose thread on his baseball cap.

            “You’re gonna do great, B,” Jack reassured. “Just do your best.”

            Benjy nodded but he still looked really nervous.

            Jack just got them there and walked Benjy into the dugout. He had Spot and Race, who was there when they got there, watch the twins before he walked out to wait for Kath and Davey.

            Katherine showed up, alone because Sarah was working on some stuff for school, and Jack fidgeted nervously. “What’s wrong, Jack?”

            “I’m, uh, waitin’ on somebody else,” Jack said.

            “Who?”

            “My date,” Jack mumbled.

            “You’re going on a date?” Katherine asked. “And it’s to your son’s baseball game?”

            “Listen, he gets that I don’t gots lots of time and he said that it’ll be fun. I just want to give this a try. I’d appreciate it if you’d do the same for me, Kath.” Jack gave her a pleading look and she smoothed his hair back.

            “I will,” Katherine said and cupped Jack’s cheek with a fond smile. “But he better be good looking and smart and a good influence for the kids.”

            “He is,” Jack said with a grin before swatting her hand. “Now scram so I can pay his entrance fee without you lurkin’.”

            “Fine,” Kath said with a laugh and headed to get a seat with Spot, Race, and the twins.

            It was a few minutes later that Davey walked up, and Jack’s stomach did a backflip. Davey was in a striped Henley and jeans. Tight jeans. Holy shit. Jack’s mouth was dry as he waved at Davey.

            “Hey,” Davey said and tucked his hands into his pockets.

            “Hey,” Jack said. When Davey went to reach into his pocket for the entrance fee Jack waved him off. “This is a date, I’s payin’.” Jack handed over the five dollars before gesturing for Davey to go first. Davey’s cheeks were pink.

            “Thank you,” Davey said and he walked inside. Jack smiled as they walked to where Spot, Race, Kath, and the twins were.

            “Davey, this is my brother Spot and his partner, Race, and that’s-”

            “David?” Katherine asked and blinked as if she couldn’t believe her eyes.

            “Katherine,” Davey said with a fond smile.

            “Yous know each other?” Jack asked and frowned, looking between them.

            Katherine laughed and shook her head. “You didn’t put two and two together, Jack?

            “Guess not, so wanna explain it to me?” Jack asked.

            “Sarah is my sister, Jack,” Davey said quietly. When it clicked, Jack felt his face heat up in embarrassment for not putting that together.

            “Oh, wow, yeah.” Jack pushed his hair away from his eyes.

            “If you haven’t learned already,” Spot said and shifted Lilabet on his lap, “Jack here can be kinda dense sometimes.”

            “Shuddup,” Jack muttered as Race snorted.

            “Spot just feel like Davey better know what he’s gettin’ into wit’ you, Cowboy,” Race said as he choked back a laugh at Jack’s affronted face.

            “I think I can handle him,” Davey said and sat down on the bleachers. Jack’s face was now red for an entirely different reason. Spot, Race, and Katherine all whistled in unison. Then they fell silent because the game was starting. Jack set his hand down and he nearly jumped out of his skin when it covered Davey’s.

            “Sorry,” Jack said quietly but Davey just smiled at him.

            “It’s okay,” Davey said before turning his attention back to the field.

            Jack did as well and he set his hand down so that his and Davey’s fingers brushed. It felt nice and Jack felt grounded as they continued watching the game. It was going pretty well and Benjy was great. He even caught a line-drive as it’d been making its way to the ground. Jack had been on his feet and shouting with every other parent of Benjy’s team.

            Jack glanced at the score board and noted that it was the last inning, there were two outs, and Benjy’s team was at bat. If they could score one more point they’d win their first game. Jack hadn’t even realized he was chewing on his thumbnail, an old habit, until Davey had gently taken his hand away from his mouth. “They’re doing great, and besides they’re going to have plenty of games through the summer.” Jack nodded and smiled as Davey continued to hold onto Jack’s hand.

            Jack threaded his fingers through Davey’s and gave Davey’s hand a squeeze. Now his heart was pounding three times as hard. He watched as the ball was hit and Benjy sprinted from second to third. Jack saw the moment that Benjy decided to round third base. Jack glanced at where the ball was, Benjy could make it. “Go, Benjy! Run!!” Jack shouted and he and Spot were both on their feet shouting encouragement. Jack saw the ball coming toward the catcher and he cupped his hands over his mouth. “Slide, B, slide!! Get down!” Benjy slid, in perfect form Jack was happy to note, and the catcher fumbled the ball so he was safe. “Yes!!” Jack grinned and whooped before he turned to his family. Katherine was standing and clapping as the game was called. Spot and Race were both cheering and calling for Benjy’s attention to give him the thumbs-up, Lilabet and Atticus were both grinning and shouting ‘that’s my brother!’, while Davey was watching Jack with a huge grin.

            “What?” Jack asked.

            “Nothing, you just really get into it,” Davey laughed and stood so he and Jack were level.

            “He just won the game, of course I’m into it,” Jack laughed and bumped Davey’s shoulder with his own. He looked back to the field and waved when Benjy waved at him excited, dirt all the way up his side and streaked over his face.

            Once Benjy picked up his snack and listened to the coach’s post-game speech, he ran over and Jack picked him up to hug him tightly. “You did great, champ. How you feel?”

            “Like I wanna be a pro baseball player!” Benjy grinned as he held onto Jack’s shoulders.

            “Keep playin’ like that, and you might make it,” Spot said and ruffled Benjy’s hair, dislodging a cloud of red dirt. Jack set Benjy down and Benjy grinned at Katherine and Davey.

            “What’d you think, Mama, Mr. Jacobs?”

            “I think you were great, Jellybean,” Katherine said.

            “You were, best baseball game I’ve never been to,” Davey said.

            “Really?” Benjy asked, his eyes huge.

            “Definitely,” Davey said and Jack couldn’t help but smile at how genuinely excited about that response Benjy was.

            “Alright you hooligans,” Katherine said and put a hand on Benjy’s head while giving the twins a look. “I think it’s time for me to get some dinner into you and get you washed and ready for bed.”

            The kids protested but Jack giving them a look had them scowling at their shoes and agreeing reluctantly. They all gave their hugs and kisses to Jack, Spot, and Race before following after Katherine once she’d pressed a fleeting good-bye kiss to Jack’s cheek.

            “We’ll see ya ‘round,” Race said and waved at Jack. “It was nice to meetcha, Davey.”

            “Pleasure’s mine,” Davey said and waved as they walked away.

            “So,” Jack said and tucked his hands into his back pockets. “Dinner.”

            “Dinner,” Davey repeated.

            “I, uh… is there anywhere you’d wanna go?” Jack asked. He cringed internally but he wasn’t really sure how to ask.

            “Well,” Davey said. “There’s this great pizza place around the corner. I know it’s nothing special for a first date but…”

            “No, Davey. It sounds perfect,” Jack said with a smile. He offered his hand. “C’mon. We’ll walk and then come back for the cars.” Davey nodded as he took Jack’s hand.

…..

            “Shuddup, no way,” Jack laughed and wrinkled his nose.

            “I’m telling you it’s _good_ ,” Davey insisted.

            “Ain’t no way you’re gonna convince me that pineapple on pizza is good!” Jack snorted. “Race, the most Italian Italian I’s ever met in my life, would have your head for sayin’ that.”

            “Then it’s you two’s loss,” Davey said and made a face at Jack. There was a warm silence where Jack went to take a sip of his soda. “But you seriously won’t even _try_ it?”

            Jack nearly spit soda as he laughed into his straw. He pressed the back of his hand to his mouth as he swallowed, watching Davey laugh, before he scowled. “No!”

            “Alright, alright,” Davey said and shook his head. He wiped his hands on a napkin before tossing it onto his empty plate. “Jack, I gotta say this was really fun.”

            “Honest?” Jack asked. It’d been nice, but Jack hadn’t thought it was very special. It was what Jack would have thought would be a nice date after they’d been together awhile, not the first one.

            “Yeah,” Davey said. “I don’t think I’ve had this much fun on a first date since I was in high school.”

            “God, you need to get out more,” Jack teased and bumped Davey’s foot under the table.

            “I’m serious though, Jack.” Davey smiled genuinely at Jack as he looked up through his lashes. Jack’s heart stuttered a little. “This was great.”

            “I’s glad,” Jack said and felt his cheeks flushing. “It’s been a while since I’s done this, so I’m glad that I didn’t screw it up.”

            “You didn’t screw it up,” Davey said and leaned forward to take Jack’s hand. Jack looked up and he felt his stomach knot up at how soft Davey looked in the shitty orangish lighting.

            “Well I might be about to,” Jack said and took a breath, “’cause I really wanna kiss you, Dave.”

            “What’s stopping you?” Davey asked but his ears were red.

            “’Cause we’s in a restaurant filled wit’ people and I don’t wanna embarrass you,” Jack said honestly. “Why don’t we head back before we do somethin’ that’s gonna make it so that we ain’t welcome here anymore?”

            “You’re probably right,” Davey laughed. They got up, Jack paid but Davey insisted on leaving the tip, and left. Jack slipped his hand into Davey’s as they walked and Davey gave his fingers a squeeze in return.

            “I’m glad you had fun,” Jack said as they stood by Jack’s car.

            “Me too,” Davey said. “And I just want you to know that I get it, you being busy and all that, but I’d really like to keep seeing you. Even if it’s just at Benjy’s baseball games or whatever.”

            Jack nodded. “Me too.” Jack leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to Davey’s mouth. He just couldn’t help it anymore and the parking lot of the field was practically empty. Jack pulled back and he felt his breath catch at how pretty Davey looked. Davey blinked slowly and then they were kissing again but this time it wasn’t chaste. It ended up with Davey’s hand digging into Jack’s back under his shirt, and Jack pressing Davey against the side of his car.

            Jack pulled back and he felt like his head was spinning with how quickly that kiss had turned dirty and desperate. “You wanna head to my place?” Jack had no idea what possessed him to ask that. It was their _first date_.

            But then Davey was nodding and Jack was only pulling away so he could get into his car. “I’ll drive and tomorrow we can pick up your car,” Jack said. Davey nodded and slid into the passenger’s seat. Jack drove the relatively short distance back to his place, but it felt like forever. His brain was wired and jumpy and he could tell Davey was the same. He parked and opened Davey’s door for him, kissing Davey once he was out and the door was shut.

            Davey’s hands in his hair was probably one of the best feelings Jack had felt in a while. They, by some small miracle, managed to get up to the door so Jack could fumble with his keys to get the door unlocked and opened.

            Jack opened the door and kissed Davey soundly as they made their way inside. Davey kicked the door shut and Jack immediately started tugging Davey toward his bedroom. Then, as if by some horrible twist of the universe, Jack felt one of Benjy’s matchbox cars under his foot and his foot slid out from under him. He was thankful of the wall being not too far behind him because he fell against that instead of falling to the ground.

            “Dammit,” Jack muttered, shaking his head.

            “You okay?” Davey asked and Jack nodded despite figuring that Davey couldn’t see him in the dark.

            “Just tripped over one of the kids’ toys. ‘M fine,” Jack said. He held onto Davey’s hand put flipped the hall light on so he wouldn’t break his neck heading to his bedroom. They got into Jack’s room and Jack hesitated. He wasn’t sure what Davey was and wasn’t okay with and he didn’t want to completely screw this up.

            Davey softened a little and held onto Jack’s hand. “Jack, we don’t have to do this if you’re not ready.”

            “No, no, I’m alright, and I want to. I just don’t want to do anythin’ you don’t like,” Jack admitted. Davey nodded and gave Jack’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

            “How about if I don’t like something, I tell you I want to stop, and if you don’t like something, then you tell me to stop,” Davey said.

            Jack nodded. “Sounds good to me.”

            “Now stop worrying and come over here and kiss me,” Davey said. Jack grinned and pulled Davey in by the belt loops. Davey’s hands tangled in Jack’s short hair and Jack hummed into their kiss. Davey pulled back and tugged at the hem of Jack’s shirt. “I think this can come off now.” Jack grinned and pulled his shirt off, tossing it in the general direction of his hamper.

            Davey’s eyes were wide as he gently traced his fingers over Jack’s exposed skin. “Seein’ somethin’ you like, Dave?” Jack asked, trying not to laugh despite Davey’s touch tickling him.

            “I do,” Davey said and he pulled Jack in for a kiss. They kiss for a while before Jack moved them back toward his bed, laying Davey down gently. Jack pulled back to kiss at Davey’s jaw and neck before he toyed with the hem of Davey’s shirt.

            “Can I?” Jack asked and Davey nodded, sitting up so that Jack could slide the material over Davey’s head and toss it aside. Jack swallowed thickly as he took in Davey, shirtless, sprawled out on his bed. He grinned before he traced his fingers down Davey’s chest. He pressed a kiss to Davey’s mouth, then his chin, then down his neck, until he was pressing light kisses along all the skin he’d exposed.

            “Jack,” Davey said and gently tugged on Jack’s hair. He failed to stifle a moan as he moved to kiss Davey again. Both of them were touching as much skin as they could and Jack needed to be pressed against Davey as much as possible. Davey winced and Jack pulled back. “Your belt was digging into my stomach,” Davey chuckled.

            “Then I guess I’ll just take it off,” Jack said and started to undo it. He slid it out of his belt loops with a faint snap before letting it fall to the floor heavily.

            Davey laughed and moved to let his hands rest on Jack’s waistband. “Is this okay?” Davey asked and shifted to prop himself up a little.

            “Definitely,” Jack said and pulled Davey in for another kiss, nipping at Davey’s bottom lip gently.

            Davey made a small noise and Jack felt it go straight to his stomach, heating him up from his head to his feet.

            “Can I-?”

            “Dear God, please do,” Jack said. Davey laughed and Jack sat up so that Davey could get at the button of his jeans. It took a moment, Jack had forgotten to toe off his shoes, but soon they were off and Jack was standing in nothing but his best pair of boxer briefs (hand-picked by Spot).

            “You’re way too sexy to be a single dad,” Davey said as he looked at Jack in awe.

            Jack laughed as Davey’s face turned red, obviously having not meant to say that. “Well you ain’t so bad yourself there, Davey.” Jack winked before he knelt between Davey’s legs so that he could get Davey’s sneakers off and to get at his pants. “Stop me if you wan’ me to stop,” Jack reminded. He leaned forward to brush a kiss against Davey’s stomach.

            Davey nodded but he seemed to be at a loss for words so Jack just popped the button of Davey’s jeans and slid them off, never breaking eye contact with Davey for a second. When he did he burst into laughter and fell backwards.

            Davey was wearing Avengers print underwear.

            Davey’s face was red as he noticed what he was wearing. Jack could feel tears forming and his vision blurred as they streaked down his cheeks.

            “Give me a break,” Davey whined. “I wasn’t expecting to have sex tonight.” When Jack didn’t stop Davey continued though his voice wavered from trying to stifle laughs as well. “Not all of us can have sexy black brief, Jack. Jack… stop laughing. It’s not funny!”

            Jack bit down on his lip because he could see that his laughing was starting to bother Davey. “I’m sorry, Davey,” Jack said softly, getting up so he can kiss Davey softly. “I shouldn’t’ve laughed at ya.” Jack traced his thumb over Davey’s cheekbone. “But you gotta admit it’s a little funny.”

            Davey shoved at Jack’s shoulder but he was smiling again. “Why don’t you make it up to me for laughing?”

            “Gladly,” Jack said and moved forward to kiss Davey again.

…..

            Jack watched Davey, who was halfway to being asleep, until Davey turned and smiled at him sleepily. “I can’t believe you wore superhero underwear on a date,” Jack laughed.

            Davey was suddenly very awake. “It was a first date, how was I supposed to know it was going to end in sex?”

            “Because you’s gay and I’s bisexual,” Jack said, completely deadpan. Davey laughed and shook his head. Jack shifted a little closer and Davey turned onto his side, facing Jack, so that his nose brushed Jack’s shoulder. “We should get some sleep,” Jack said and brushed a kiss to Davey’s forehead.

            Davey just hummed and Jack had a sneaking suspicion it was because he was pretty much asleep again. Jack smiled against Davey’s skin and let his eyes slip shut. He felt good, and he had to admit that even though this wasn’t how he’d imagined his night going, it felt pretty damn amazing and right to be lying next to Davey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've had this idea for Davey and Jack's first date for a little while (basically since I had the idea for the story) and now I've finally gotten to it!!!  
> Also you can find Race and Spot's suits here: http://obvious-captain-rogers.tumblr.com/post/170999802493/race-and-spots-wedding-suits-from-my-fic   
> -James


	9. The Morning After

            Jack smiled sleepily as he let his eyes scan over Davey next to him. He fumbled for a pencil and whatever paper he could get his hands on. It ended up being an opened envelope from some junk mail that Jack had opened nearly a week ago, but it worked. He sketched quietly and was mostly done shading when Davey stirred.

            “Don’t move,” Jack said quietly. “Just gimme one second before you start wigglin’ aroun’.” Davey stayed still but his eyes were open and he was looking at Jack blearily. “Done,” Jack said and tossed the scrap paper and pencil onto his nightstand where he’d found them.

            “What were you doing?” Davey asked and shifted closer to Jack.

            “The lightin’ was pretty,” Jack said and pushed a stray curl away from Davey’s eyes. “Made ya real pretty too,” Jack hummed and swiped his thumb over Davey’s cheekbone.

            “Is that so?” Davey asked and brushed his nose against Jack’s.

            “I mean, you’s real pretty all the time but _the lightin’_ ,” Jack grinned and leaned in to kiss Davey softly.

            “Smooth,” Davey said once Jack pulled back. The atmosphere was warm, and Jack felt really and truly comfortable tucked into his bed with Davey there. Jack felt that warm, content feeling fall out of the bottom of his stomach when he heard the front door bang open. Jack sat up and he had only a second to glance at Davey before they heard the sound of little feet and Jack’s door was opened. Atticus and Lilabet jumped onto the foot of Jack’s bed and scrambled up to sit between him and Davey, completely unfazed by Davey’s presence. Benjy hesitated in the doorway, as did Katherine when she stepped up behind Benjy.

            Jack was thankful that he and Davey had had the thought to at least put their underwear back on last night. Jack forced a smile as he ran his fingers through Lilabet’s wild hair. “What’re yous doin’ back so early for?”

            “They wanted to have breakfast with you,” Katherine said and Jack could tell she was trying to keep from laughing. “They said that I don’t make pancakes right and Sarah was already out doing some shopping so…”

            “You don’t make pancakes right,” Jack said and pulled a face. “You forget, Kath, that they gotta be cooked. There are a great many things you’s good at, but cookin’ definitely ain’t one of ‘em.” Jack tossed back the sheet and he slipped out of bed, nodding for the kids to go on ahead of him. Lilabet and Atticus went but Benjy glanced at Jack and Davey before Katherine was leading him away.

            Jack shook his head and turned to look at Davey, who was red in the face and had slumped down in bed.

            “Well, I was gonna make you breakfast anyway. Just… take whatever clothes you want from the closet.” Jack smiled and he leaned over to kiss Davey’s cheek. “I’m so sorry.”

            “It’s alright,” Davey said. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

            “Alright,” Jack said and he moved to grab up a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. He headed out to the kitchen and he winced as he saw how messy everything was. Spot and Race’s wedding stuff was still on the dining room table. He shook his head and moved to make coffee for him, Davey, and Kath. Then he started fixing breakfast.

            Davey came out and Jack felt butterflies in his stomach to see Davey in a pair of Jack’s paint-stained jeans and one of his flannels. “Coffee?” Jack offered and nodded toward where the coffee machine was sitting.

            “Thanks,” Davey said and snagged a mug. Davey was sipping at his coffee when he crossed over into the dining room. “Wedding plans already, last night wasn’t _that_ great.”

            Jack’s face heated up and he shook his head. “Those’re for my brother’s weddin’. I’s his best man and I’s stuck with keepin’ all their plans in my house to clutter it up more than it already is. Lemme move ‘em.”

            Jack left the pancake batter so he could grab up the binders on the table and move them onto the table in the living room.

            “It’s nice that you’re helping out,” Davey said.

            “I dunno why they wanted me, it ain’t like I know what I’s doin’,” Jack said and moved back into the kitchen, Davey following him to stand next to Jack. “They just need me ta tell ‘em not to listen to their mothers and do what they want.”

            “Sounds like fun for you,” Davey said and snorted into his coffee mug.

            “It is,” Jack said and wrinkled his nose. Jack started cooking and once the smell of pancakes was in the air, his children were buzzing around him and Katherine was perched on the counter with a mug of coffee between her hands. Jack handed plates and silverware to the kids and shooed them into the dining room to set the table.

            “Pancakes smell amazing,” Katherine said.

            “That’s what they smell like when they’s cooked,” Jack said and took a sip of his coffee. Jack yelped when she kicked his hip.

            “Shut up, Kelly,” Katherine said.

            Jack stuck his tongue out at her and he noticed the way that Davey was smiling at him. Jack smiled back at him as he finished up cooking. Katherine picked up the plate of pancakes while Jack went to grab syrup from the fridge.

            “You know,” Davey said, and Jack turned, knocking his hip against the door to close the fridge door, to look at him. “You’re pretty amazing.”

            “Uh… thanks,” Jack said. “But it’s just breakfast.”

            “Yeah, well…” Davey said with a shrug. Jack grinned, and he moved to press a soft kiss to Davey’s mouth.

            “Ew!” Jack turned to see Atticus, Lilabet, and Benjy all staring with their noses scrunched up.

            “Ew?” Jack asked and moved over to scoop up Lilabet and press smacking kisses to Lilabet’s cheeks. She pushed Jack’s face away as she laughed. “Now siddown and eat your pancakes, ya menace.”

…..

            Jack was surprised that breakfast seemed to go smoothly with Davey, Katherine, and the kids all in the same place. It was strange to think that Jack and Davey had only been on one date and they’d already had sex and done a, for all intents and purposes, family breakfast. The kids were chatting as Jack moved to pick up dishes to clean up.

            “Let me help you,” Davey said and moved to pick up some of the things Jack couldn’t get.

            They worked together to clean up the dishes and Jack couldn’t get used to the feeling of having someone at his side after so long of not having it. It was nice to have someone drying the dishes after he’d washed them.

            “I should probably get you back to your car,” Jack said after they’d finished up.

            “Probably,” Davey said with a faint smile.

            “We’s gonna do this again though, as soon as we can,” Jack said. “That is if you want to.”

            Davey smiled and nodded. “Whenever you get the chance, I’ll be waiting.” Davey’s nose wrinkled up and Jack grinned at the sight. “As horribly desperate as that sounds.”

            Jack shook his head. “Nah, not desperate. Or, not any more desperate than I’d be to take ya out again.” Jack stepped out of the kitchen to look at Katherine where she and the kids were playing a game. “I gotta pop out and take Davey back to his car. Yous’re gonna be okay to stay here for a bit?”

            “We’ll be fine, Jack,” Katherine said. “Go on and take David back to his car.”

            “I’ll be right back,” Jack said and moved to press quick kisses to the top of the kids’ heads.

            “Is Mr. Jacobs leaving?” Benjy asked.

            “Yeah, B. I gotta take ‘im to get his car,” Jack said.

            “Oh…” Benjy said and he sounded a little disappointed. “Okay.”

            “I’ll see you guys later,” Davey said and waved at the children who all waved back.

            Davey and Jack pulled on their shoes before walking out to Jack’s car so they could head back to where they’d left Davey’s car.

            “I’ll see you later, Jack,” Davey said.

            “I’ll see ya later, Dave,” Jack said with a grin. Davey leaned in and gave Jack a quick kiss before he got out of the car.

…..

            Jack was cleaning up as the kids finished up their homework for the weekend, Sunday being taken since Medda had invited them over for dinner. Jack tucked the toys away and then he headed down to his room to grab his laundry so he could put a load in the washer. He was picking clothes up when he realized that the shirt in his hands wasn’t his.

            It was Davey’s.

            Jack grinned and he tossed it and Davey’s pants into his hamper so he could wash them. He’d just tossed a load of his shirts and socks into the laundry when Benjy came in and sat on the dryer.

            “Hey, B. What’s up?” Jack asked, noticing the thoughtful look on Benjy’s face.

            “Is Mr. Jacobs gonna be around a lot?” Benjy asked.

            “I hope so,” Jack said and leaned his hip against the washer. “Why?”

            Benjy just shrugged.

            “Well I’s gonna need a lil’ more than that, B,” Jack said and ruffled Benjy’s hair.

            “I’m just wondering,” Benjy said. “Atticus wants to watch _To Kill A Mockingbird_ again, can I put it on?”

            “Yeah, go ahead.” Benjy slipped down and darted off and Jack just frowned after him for a moment. Sometimes his kids just surprised and confused him.

            He finished up the laundry and he smiled as he folded up his clothes, with Davey’s shirt and pants included. He was putting clothes away when his phone chimed.

_From: Hot For Teacher_

_I left my clothes at your place didn’t I?_

_To: Hot For Teacher_

_You did. Don’t worry, though. I washed ‘em and their folded up in my dresser._

_From: Hot For Teacher_

_Am I going to get them back?_

_To: Hot For Teacher_

_Of course. But I guess you’ll just have to stay over again ;)_

_From: Hot For Teacher_

_Oh my God. You’re the worst._

 

            Jack laughed and he pushed his hair away from his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a short little chapter to tide y'all over while I work on the bigger part of the plot that I'm working on! Tell me what y'all think will happen/what you want to happen!  
> -James


	10. Meeting the Folks

-5 Months Later-

            Jack was sitting in the glaring sunshine of the afternoon in Central Park while supervising his students. He thought a little trip into the sunshine to work on their final art project of their sessions. Jack craned his neck to see Hot Shot and Willie working quietly together. Those two had grown a lot in their time with Jack and Jack was proud of them. They’d stopped fighting and Jack had talked to their caseworkers: both of them were doing really well and they were steadily getting closer.

            Jack got up from where he’d been sketching idly before he moved to check on the kids’ progress. “Alright!” Jack said and tucked his hands into his pockets. “We gotta head back to the studio so that yous’ people can come get ya. Start packin’ up.” The kids groaned but they packed up their supplies and their drawings.

            Jack ushered the kids, counting heads to make sure none of them tried to run off, back to the studio. Medda was standing in the hallway as they all trooped back into the studio space. “You’re gonna miss them,” Medda said knowingly.

            “They’s only going to be takin’ a break for a few weeks,” Jack said.

            “Still,” Medda hummed. “Go on and give them your end of the session speech.”

            Jack rolled his eyes and he walked into his classroom. The kids were slowly going about putting their supplies back where they belonged. Jack recognized the way the kids were dragging their feet. They’d come in hating art, hating therapy, hating Jack and the universe and everything; but now they didn’t want to leave.

            “Okay,” Jack said. “This session has been really great. Yous all have come so far, and I’s real proud of all of you. We’ll be breakin’ just for a few weeks so that we can all recharge and you all can be reevaluated. Some of yous ain’t gonna come back because the court or whoever says you don’t need me no more.” Jack pushed his hair from his eyes. “But if you ever feel like you need to talk to someone, or if you feel like you don’t know what to do, yous all got my card: call me. I’m not gonna just forget about all of yous and move onto my next classes, I’m gonna be worryin’ about you like yous were my own kids, and you all know how much I worry about my own kids.” There were some tense laughs and Jack smiled at all of them. “But I want yous to know that yous’re so smart, and talented, and amazin’ and just keep in mind what I’ve taught ya, ‘cause you can use it to work anythin’ out.” Jack felt his throat get tight and he coughed to clear it. “That’s our time for today, I’s enjoyed havin’ all of yous in class. Even yous two,” Jack grinned and nodded toward where Hot Shot and Willie were swiping at their eyes and noses.

            The kids got up and some were swiping at their eyes, stubbornly trying not to cry, or were openly crying. Some of the kids came up and hugged Jack tightly before they went out to the lobby to meet their caseworkers and guardians.

            Jack smiled when Willie and Hot Shot came over and both of them hugged Jack tightly. Jack patted their backs gently as they cried into the front of his shirt. He knew that they were going to age out of the system before sessions reconvened, so Jack wasn’t going to have them in class anymore.

            “What’re you twos’ plans for livin’ on your own?” Jack asked.

            “We’s got a place all set up and ready for when Willie turns eighteen,” Hot Shot said, pushing his hair away from his face. “We’re gonna live together.”

            “Big step,” Jack said. “Lemme give ya some advice,” Jack leveled a serious face to the two of them, “ _never_ go to bed angry at each other, compromise if everythin’ but don’t give in on somethin’ you feel real strong about, and know that everythin’ will work itself out.”

            “Thanks, Dr. Kelly,” Willie said with a watery smile.

            “Anytime, and call me if you need me,” Jack said and smiled at them.

            “We will, Dr. Kelly,” Hot Shot said with a genuine smile.

…..

            Jack headed to the school to pick up the kids. He felt emotionally wiped out from saying goodbye to all his classes for the next few weeks and coming to terms with the idea that some of his kids he might not see again.

            Jack forced a smile when the kids came out and clung onto him. “Daddy!” Benjy said and pulled at the hem of Jack’s shirt. “Mr. Jacobs said he wanted to see you. Can we go play in Ima Sarah’s room while you talk?”

            Jack nodded tiredly. “Sure.” Jack had them walk with him until the split in the hallway. “Behave for Ima Sarah,” Jack reminded. They all chorused their agreement before walking towards her classroom. Jack watched them for a moment before he headed into Davey’s classroom. He knocked on Davey’s door before he stepped inside. “Hey, babe, Benjy said you wanted to see me?”

            Davey looked up from his papers and smiled. “Yeah. Just give me one second.” Jack nodded and he moved over to Davey’s desk and sat on the edge of it, rubbing at his temples exhaustedly. When he opened his eyes again, Davey was looking at him with his eyebrows furrowed. “You alright?”

            “Just a long day,” Jack said quietly.

            “What happened?” Davey asked and he moved so that he was standing between Jack’s knees.

            “End of session,” Jack sighed and leaned his forehead against Davey’s chest. Davey’s fingers threaded through his hair and Jack felt some of his tension melt away. Davey massaged at Jack’s scalp and pressed a light kiss to Jack’s temple.

            “Tell me about it,” Davey said genuinely.

            “I just get invested in ‘em an’ at the end o’ the year I gotta watch ‘em leave and not know who’s gonna come back. Some of my kids’re gonna age out and I just…” Jack sighed and shook his head against Davey’s chest.

            “You sound tired,” Davey said and kissed the top of Jack’s head. Jack snorted and nodded, finally pulled back to look at Davey.

            “Yeah, sounds about right. Don’t worry about it, a quick nap an’ I’ll be right as rain. How was your day?”

            “Good,” Davey said and let his fingers slip from Jack’s hair to smooth out the collar of his shirt. “And I’m sure this is the worst time to ask you a favor.”

            “No, no, it’s alright. What’s up, Dave?” Jack asked and let his fingers brush against Davey’s pants.

            Davey bit his lip and hesitated for a moment. “My parents want to meet you.”

            “Your what?” Jack sputtered, feeling his face getting hot.

            “My parents,” Davey said. “You don’t _have_ to but Sarah has blabbed and I’ve talked about you a little to them because they asked and… yeah.” Davey bit his lip again.

            “Do you want me to meet your folks? You don’t think it’s a little soon?” Jack asked and he swiped his thumbs over Davey’s hipbones.

            “I think it’s a little soon, but… I do want you to meet them. If you’re not comfortable with it yet you don’t have to, Jack. I just… I dunno.” Davey shrugged and his ears got red.

            “I’ll meet ‘em, but I feel like I should warn ya that I don’t have a good track record with meetin’ the parents,” Jack said.

            Davey cracked a smile. “I’m sure you’ll do just fine.” Davey leaned in and kissed Jack softly. Jack couldn’t help but smile as Davey pulled back.

            “Alright,” Jack said and brushed their noses together. “You wanna come to my place for dinner?”

            “I’ve got tons of papers to grade,” Davey said.

            “C’mon, Dave. It’s Friday, you’ll have all weekend, and I could help you. It ain’t like I can’t follow an answer key,” Jack said.

            “Conflict of interest since your son is in my class,” Davey pointed out. “But I guess.” Davey smiled and he kissed Jack again. “Let me just get all my stuff rounded up.” Jack nodded and he let his hands drop from Davey’s waist. Davey gathered up his papers and put them into his bag. “Where’re the kids?”

            “Sarah’s room, antagonizing them,” Jack said.

            “You know she adores them,” Davey said.

            “I do know that.”

            Jack paused and bit his lip. “Your folks… they… they aren’t gonna be bent outta shape ‘cause I got kids. I know that Sarah and Katherine are married but it ain’t the same since Kath don’t have ‘em all the time.”

            Davey shrugged. “I mentioned it but they didn’t say anything.”

            Jack felt his stomach twist up in knots. “Okay.”

            “Okay?”

            “Yeah, okay. I don’t know what else to say to that.” Jack shrugged.

            Davey gave him a look and he nodded as he slung his bag over his shoulder. “Okay.”

            “We’s said okay a few too many times,” Jack said with a frown.

            “Agreed.” Davey slipped his hand into Jack’s. Jack felt steadier with Davey’s hand in his as they walked the short way to Sarah’s classroom.

            “Alright kiddos, time to get outta Ima Sarah’s hair,” Jack said once they were in the classroom. “And I’ve gotta get food into you hooligans.”

            Sarah smiled at the two of them. “They’re fine, Jack. You know I don’t mind looking after them.”

            “I know you don’t mind,” Jack said and he had to drop Davey’s hand to pick up Lilabet at her silent insistence.

            “I’ll see you later, Jack, David.” Sarah waved at them.

            “Bye, Sarah,” Davey said and moved to press a kiss to his sister’s cheek. “See you at Mom and Dad’s.”

            Sarah hummed and waved them off again.

            They walked out to the parking lot and Jack got the kids into the car. “I’ll see ya in a few,” Jack said and casually kissed Davey.

            “I might swing by my place first so if I’m not right behind you, don’t worry.”

            Jack nodded and got into the car.

            “Do you gots to do that?” Benjy asked out of the blue when Jack was driving them back.

            “Do what, B?” Jack asked and glanced at him in the rearview mirror.

            “ _KISS_ Mr. Jacobs,” Benjy whined.

            Jack rolled his eyes. It’d been a month of him having to have this conversation with Benjy. “Because I like to kiss him, Benjy. That’s how I show him that I like him. It’s like when I give you all goodnight kisses.”

            Benjy nodded thoughtfully.

            Jack got the kids out of the car and set up to work on their homework so he could work on dinner. He was tossing a salad when his phone rang. He answered it and cradled it between his cheek and shoulder. “Hello?”

            “Have you asked your boy about goin’ ta our weddin’?” It was Race.

            Jack groaned. “For the love o’ God, Racer. Can’t ya give me a break?”

            “No. You promised, Cowboy!” Race shouted down the phone and Jack winced.

            “I’ll get there, alrigh’?” Jack asked. “I just wanna ask ‘im in my own way at the right time. Weddin’s are a weird thin’ ta invite someone to that you ain’t been wit’ very long.”

            “Just _ask_ for God’s sake!” Jack rolled his eyes at the muffled sound of Spot’s voice.

            Jack sighed. “Alright, I’ll ask ‘im.”

            “Thank you,” Racer said.

            Jack turned when he heard the doorbell. “Alright, well that’s ‘im so I gotta go. Bye!” Jack hung up and headed to the door so he could let Davey in. “Hey.” Jack grinned.

            “Evening,” Davey said and walked inside, toeing off his shoes.

            “Come on in,” Jack nodded and moved to head back into the kitchen. “I’m just finishing up dinner.”

            “You want any help?” Davey asked.

            “Nah,” Jack said and waved him off. “Just work on your grading. I’ve got this.”

            Davey nodded and he moved to where he usually worked on grading when he was with Jack. The kids didn’t even look up when Davey settled at the opposite end of the table. Jack smiled at seeing how seamlessly that Davey seemed to fit into their lives. Even in the short time that Jack and Davey had been dating, the kids seemed to be relaxed with him around. Sometimes, Benjy would have moments when he suddenly remembered that Davey wasn’t just Jack’s boyfriend and he would be a little moody but then Davey would crack a bad joke that would restore his ordinary cheerful demeanor.

            It made Jack feel like this was something he _really_ wanted to work out. And it was something that scared the shit out of Jack.

            It was something that he hadn’t felt as strongly with Katherine.

            Of course, he’d been in love with Katherine. He couldn’t deny that and he would never want to. But things had been tough. Benjy had been a surprise and they’d both been so young and scared. Then adding the pressure of Kath’s father trying to force them to get married, and then the twins had come along. It’d been such a whirlwind that being together was for the kids and to have s _omeone_.

            Jack jumped when he felt someone’s chin on his shoulder. He turned his head to see Davey looking at him with a soft smile. “Didn’t mean to startle you,” Davey said.

            “Was just thinkin’,” Jack said and bumped his forehead against Davey’s cheek.

            “What about?” Davey asked.

            “Nothin’ to worry about,” Jack said and his stomach twisted up. He really liked Davey, probably loved him, but he couldn’t tell him. Not yet. “Let’s get dinner on the table.”

            Davey nodded and moved to get plates and silverware to set the table. Jack watched him go fondly and moved to get everything set on the table.

…..

            Jack brushed his teeth and tried to suppress a yawn as he spit the minty flavored foam from his mouth. He rinsed his mouth and then the toothbrush before he put it back in the cup by the sink. Jack walked out of the bathroom and back into his room. He smiled when he saw Davey settled in his bed, reading by the light of the bedside lamp. Jack just leaned against the doorframe and watched Davey for a moment.

            He must have made a noise or Davey had seen him, because Davey looked up and smiled at him. “What’re you standing all the way over there for?” Davey asked with a light laugh.

            “Wishin’ I could stop time,” Jack said softly, “so’s I could just keep lookin’ at ya.”

            Davey flushed and shook his head. “You’re ridiculous.”

            “Says you,” Jack said before he pushed away from the doorway and made his way toward his side of the bed. He settled, and Davey finished up his chapter before setting the book aside and turning the light off.  Davey curled up close to Jack. Jack settled when he could feel Davey’s heartbeat against his side.

            Jack could feel as Davey relaxed and slowly started to fall asleep. Jack knew he was still mentally exhausted, but his body hadn’t seemed to catch on yet. So he lay there in the dark and listened to Davey’s quiet puffs of breath mixed with the ever present ambience of the Manhattan streets outside. He was starting to doze when he heard the soft sound of feet sneaking along on the floor. He lifted his head and watched as a little shadow appeared in his doorway and made its way to his side of the bed.

            It was Lilabet with tears in her eyes.

            “What’s wrong, sweet pea?” Jack asked quietly, trying not to jostle Davey, but Davey made a soft noise and lifted his head to look at Lilabet as well.

            “I had a bad dream,” Lilabet said, her voice cracking quietly.

            “Oh,” Jack said softly and he slid to sit up, Davey moving to do the same. “C’mere.” Jack patted his lap and Lilabet climbed up and settled so she was curled up tightly against Jack’s chest. “It’s okay. There’s nothin’ to be scared of.” Jack rubbed her back consolingly as she trembled.

            Davey rubbed his eyes and offered Lilabet a smile. “Would you feel better if you slept with me and your dad?” Jack looked at Davey and the soft understanding he saw there made him want to kiss Davey.

            “Can I?” Lilabet asked wetly.

            “Of course,” Jack said and kissed the top of her head. “C’mon and lay down.” Lilabet settled between them, clinging to Jack and burying her face in his shirt. Jack made sure she was settled before he turned to look at Davey. “Thank you,” Jack whispered.

            “Any time,” Davey said and rolled onto his back to try and go back to sleep.

…..

            They were woken up a few hours later by Atticus. He’d woken up alone and had been scared too. Jack looked to Davey apologetically, but Davey had just smiled sleepily and moved over to make room for Atticus between them. Atticus wiggled close to Lilabet, who hadn’t stirred at all or loosened her death-grip on Jack’s t-shirt, and sighed contentedly. Jack had to press his face into his pillow to stifle the frustrated laughter.

            When Jack had a handle on himself, he could just make out that Davey was smiling, his eyes shut, and stifling laughter of his own. Jack reached out over his two children and gave Davey’s hand a squeeze before he settled comfortably again and fell asleep.

…..

            Jack woke up to hazy light slanting in through his windows. He blinked and squinted until his eyes started to adjust. He felt an uncomfortable pressure in his side and he sat up to alleviate the sensation. He snorted loudly before he covered his mouth.

            Benjy had slipped into bed sometime during the night. He had been on Jack’s other side and it was his heel that had been digging into Jack’s ribs. Jack couldn’t help but want to laugh as he looked around him. Benjy was squeezed against Jack’s hip, Lilabet was laying sideways with her legs over Atticus’s chest and her feet propped up on Davey’s hip, Atticus was upside down so that his feet were on the pillow, and Davey was on his side, facing Jack, with Atticus’s feet practically under his chin. Jack pressed the back of his hand to his mouth to stifle his laughter. He slowly and silently grabbed his phone from the bedside table. He pulled up the camera and took a panoramic photo with a smile. He’d have to send it to Kath and Sarah later, they’d get a kick out of it.

            He chuckled quietly as he looked at the photo fondly.

            “What’re you laughin’ at?” Davey asked, his voice heavy and slurred with sleep. Jack just shook his head.

            “Nothin’, Dave,” Jack whispered.

            “I don’ believe that for a secon’,” Davey said around a yawn. Jack just shrugged lightly and Davey smiled up at him. “Seems we’ve got a full house, huh?”

            “Seems so,” Jack said and brushed Benjy’s hair away from his eyes.

            “Want me to make coffee?” Davey asked and stretched, careful not to bump any of the sleeping children.

            “That’d be great,” Jack said. Davey nodded and gently shifted Lilabet’s feet off of him so he could slip from bed. He crossed over to Jack’s side so he could lean in and give Jack a quick kiss.

            “Be right back.”

            Jack relaxed against the headboard and just listened to the far-off noises of Davey in the kitchen, and the soft sounds of his children’s breathing. He shifted carefully down the bed a little so he could get out. He made sure to roll Benjy over gently in case he tried to roll over and fell out of bed.

            Jack made his way toward where he could smell coffee. He nearly bumped into Davey and he grabbed Davey’s elbows to steady them both. “I was just about to come and bring you a cup,” Davey said and nodded down to the mug in his hand.

            “Thanks,” Jack said and he took the mug from Davey. He set it aside so he could get up on his toes and kiss Davey softly. His fingers curled into the well-worn softness of Davey’s old t-shirt. Davey made a noise into their kiss before he pulled back.

            “It’s just coffee,” Davey joked, his cheeks turning red.

            “That wasn’t ‘bout the coffee, Dave,” Jack laughed and kissed Davey shortly before he moved to grab up his mug and take a sip while it was still hot. “I know you weren’t exactly expectin’ last night…”

            “Jack, they’re your kids,” Davey said and leaned against the counter. “They come to you when they get scared. I remember Sarah, Les, and I used to drive my parents crazy because we were constantly in their bedroom at night. It happens.” Davey shrugged casually. “You don’t have to keep worrying about it.”

            Jack nodded but he picked at the chipped paint on the lip of the mug between his hands. “I got somethin’ I wanna ask ya.”

            “What is it?” Davey asked and moved to make himself a cup of coffee.

            “Uh, so,” Jack cleared his throat and shifted. “So my brother’s weddin’ is comin’ up… and I uh, well I was wonderin’ if you wanted to go… as my date.” Jack could feel his face getting hot and was no doubt bright red.

            Davey smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I’d like that. When is it?”

            “April 10th,” Jack said. “I know I ain’t left a lot of time but uh… I, honestly, was nervous ‘bout askin’ ya.”

            “I’d love to go, Jack,” Davey assured and placed his hand over Jack’s.

            “Okay.”

            “Okay.” Davey was smiling and obviously holding back laughter.

…..

_To: Baby Mama :)_

_I may need your help_

_From: Baby Mama :)_

_What with?_

_To: Baby Mama :)_

_Fashion emergency._

_From: Baby Mama :)_

_Sarah and I will be over in fifteen minutes._

…..

            Jack groaned and wondered if it was possible for a human being to drown in paper and fabric. He’d asked Katherine to help him because he couldn’t for the life of him pick a suit for Race and Spot’s wedding. They’d given him free reign seeing as he was Spot’s only groomsman. They were trying to keep things as simple as possible.

            “What about this one?” Katherine asked and pointed to a gaudy suit that made Jack wrinkle his nose in disgust. “Guess not.”

            “Here,” Sarah said and slid a catalogue to Jack. It was a dark grey suit with a blue shirt and maroon bow tie.

            “Alright,” Jack said. “I’ll go with that one because if I’ve gotta look at another suit my eyes may start bleedin’.”

            Katherine rolled her eyes. “So dramatic,” she huffed.

            “Remind me ta never get married,” Jack muttered. “It’s too much work.”

            “I would agree with you,” Sarah said and gently pet Jack’s hair, “except you’re dating my brother now and I feel I need to protest purely for that reason.”

            “Our wedding was nice,” Katherine said with a frown.

            “Babe, that’s because it was planned by two femme lesbians. We both already knew what we wanted.”

            “How efficient of us,” Katherine snorted.

            “I hate you,” Jack whined and pulled his computer toward him so he could start placing suit orders.

            “Not to stress you out-” Katherine started.

            “Why is it every time you start a sentence like that it always ends up stressin’ me out?” Jack muttered.

            “- **but** ,” Katherine said as if Jack hadn’t interrupted her, “have you started to think about the twins’ birthday party? It’s coming up right after the wedding.”

            “Can I get through the weddin’ first?”

            “No because it’s their sixth birthday and-”

            “Katherine, they’re turning six, not sixteen. Why do we gotta make such a big deal about it? As long as they get cake and ice cream, they don’t care.”

            “Why don’t we just table it for another day?” Sarah asked, sensing one of Jack and Katherine’s infamous fights looming. “So, Jack… how’s it going with David? I mean, I don’t want the sordid details of your sex life but… well, give me everything just shy of that.”

            “I dunno, Sarah. Why don’t you ask, Davey?” Jack shot her a look.

            “Because he doesn’t want to tell me anything until after you meet Mama and Papa,” Sarah said.

            Jack frowned. “If he don’t wanna tell ya, Sarah, I ain’t gonna tell ya.”

            “You’re no fun at all,” Sarah said and stuck her tongue out at him.

            “Are you and David having sex on the regular?” Katherine asked, her brow furrowed.

            “Kath, I ain’t talkin’ about my sex life wit’ you, no offense.”

            “I just mean… you aren’t… not when the kids are around, surely,” Katherine said and Jack felt his ears burning.

            “He’s spent the night a coupla times,” Jack admitted. Katherine made a disgruntled noise and Jack frowned as he turned to look at her. “What?”

            “You don’t think this is soon? I just don’t know how I feel about David staying the night with the kids around. Isn’t it a little weird for them?” Katherine asked skeptically.

            “They’s not said anythin’ to me,” Jack said. “They really like Davey.” Jack suddenly remembered the photo. “I mean look.” Jack pulled his phone out of his pocket and pulled up the picture he’d taken the other day when he and Davey had been in bed with all the kids.

            Katherine’s face was blank as she looked at the picture. Sarah just smiled as she looked at it.

            “That’s really cute. You should print it and have it framed,” Sarah said.

            “What?” Jack asked tensely as Katherine passed his phone back to him.

            “I just think that it’s soon, that’s all,” Katherine just as shortly.

            Jack ground his teeth. “It wasn’t too soon when it was you movin’ in wit’ Sarah.”

            The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.

            “That was a low blow, even for you, Jack Kelly,” Katherine said, and Jack immediately regretted saying it when he saw the stung look in her eyes. Katherine stood and stormed out of the apartment. Jack bit his lip as he waited for Sarah to admonish him.

            “You know she’s just trying to do what’s best for the kids,” Sarah said quietly, tucking her short hair behind her ear.

            “I know, but…” Jack took a breath. “She encouraged me to date and now she’s actin’ like I did somethin’ wrong.”

            “Give her time,” Sarah said and kissed Jack’s cheek. “I’ll see you later, Jack. Tell David I said ‘hi’.”

            “Will do,” Jack said miserably and rubbed at the headache forming behind his eyes.

            It wasn’t long after that Race and Spot were over. They were supposed to be ironing at the last minute wrinkles in the wedding but they ended up just talking, though Jack’s heart wasn’t really in it.

            “How’s it goin’ with your mystery man?” Race teased and Jack’s stomach felt like it was full of lead.

            “Can we not talk about it?” Jack mumbled and picked at the corner of one of the wedding magazines.

            “Trouble in paradise?” Spot asked with a frown.

            “Not exactly,” Jack said. “Kath seems to think we’s movin’ too fast and she’s not sure she likes Davey bein’ ‘round the kids so much.”

            Spot and Race both looked at each other. “What’s that s’pposed ta mean?” Race asked.

            “Well…” Jack mumbled and rubbed the back of his neck. “He spends the night sometimes and Kath says she’s not sure she’s okay wit’ that.”

            Spot scoffed at that and rolled his eyes. “That’s bullshit, Jack! And it ain’t fair!” Spot hissed. “She don’t get to pull the shit she pulled on you and then act like you’s in the wrong for findin’ somebody!” Spot’s hands were clenched so tightly on the table his knuckles were turning white.

            “Spot, don’t…” Jack said.

            “No!” Spot said and stood up. “She left you all alone! She left you and she left them kids!”

            “Spot,” Jack said lowly, “we both know it wasn’t like that.”

            “Oh really?” Spot laughed humorlessly as he started to pace agitatedly. “Do you not remember the nights you called me cryin’ because you ain’t had any sleep and Kath was _supposed_ to come help you but didn’t know where she was?! Don’t you remember the times she left you alone while you was tryin’ to finish up your last semester o’ school with a toddler and two newborn babies?!” Spot shook his head and he glared at the floor. “And after you split you couldn’t _stand_ bein’ in that house alone no more. I remember the night you asked me ta move in wit’ me. Do you?” Spot snapped. Jack nodded silently, his hands shaking. “You was terrified! You spent that whole night sittin’ awake and just watching them kids sleep because you was so lost… and she did that to ya, Jack…” Spot’s voice cracked and Jack was surprised to see that tears seemed to be pricking at Spot’s eyes. “They’s a lot of things I can forgive… but that ain’t one of ‘em, Jack. It just ain’t.”

            Race got up and he slipped his hand into Spot’s shaky one. “C’mon, Patrick,” Race said softly and tugged gently at Spot’s hand. “Let’s sit back down.”

            They sat and Jack just stared at his shaky hands. “Spot… she’s just tryin’ to do what she thinks is best for the kids, and I don’t blame ‘er for it.” Spot looked like he wanted to launch into another angry tirade, but Race mumbled something softly that Jack couldn’t hear. “I ain’t gonna stop seein’ Davey, and I’s not even sure I’m gonna stop havin’ ‘im spend the night. I just… This’d be a lot easier if she was okay wit’ it.”

            Spot nodded tensely and after a moment he let out a deep breath and ran a hand over his face. “I’m sorry, Jack. I just… you know how she winds me up sometimes.”

            “I know,” Jack said. “Let’s just not talk ‘bout it anymore.”

            Race fidgeted for a second and he seemed to be debating with himself. “I think we may be able to give ya some good news though,” Race said and looked at Spot. They had a short, silent conversation that left Spot with a small smile tugging at his lips.

            “What?” Jack asked and looked between the two of them.

            “Well…” Race said and he smoothed his hands over the legs of his jeans. “So me and Spot’ve been talkin’ and we’s decided we’s gonna have a baby.”

            Jack blinked and let that sink it. He couldn’t help but grin at the thought of having a niece or nephew running around. “That’s great. But…” Jack bit his lip and looked at Race. “Are you gonna be okay with all… that.” Jack gestured vaguely to Race.

            “I think so,” Race said. “I’s already stopped takin’ my T shots. So right now we’s just gotta wait and see what happens. It might not happen, the doctors ain’t sure yet and they say it might not, but we’ll see.”

            “That’s really amazin’. You told Mama yet?” Jack asked Spot.

            “Not yet,” Spot admitted. “We was gonna wait ‘til at least after the weddin’ or until we was sure.”

            “Don’t wanna get my mama or Miss Medda’s hopes up if it ain’t gonna happen,” Race said.

            “It’ll happen,” Jack said. “I’s sure of it.”

            “You’s the baby expert now?” Race asked.

            “I got three of ‘em, so I already know more than you.”

…..

            Jack smiled as he smoothed out a pair of baby socks. They were a pastel purple and both of them fit into the palm of Jack’s hand. His heart twisted up at seeing how small his kids had been once. He folded them gently before putting them back into the box. He pulled out blue lump of fabric and when he shook it out it turned out to be one of the twins’ old dresses. It was a light blue and white striped fabric with white pearl buttons down the front and a round Peter Pan collar.

            “What’re you doing?”

            Jack nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Davey’s voice. “Nothin’!” Jack denied quickly and tried to hide the baby clothes behind his back.

            “What’s going on, Jack?” Davey asked and sat down next to Jack. He looked in the box and pulled out a little onesie with a duck print. “Oh…” Davey said softly, his breath catching.

            “I’m just lookin’ through the kids’ old baby clothes. My brother tol’ me that him and his fiancé are gonna try and have a baby. I thought I could let them take some stuff, but then I got all misty eyed and reminiscent.” Jack shook his head and smoothed the dress out before folding it carefully.

            “They’re so small,” Davey said and started to fold the onesie in his hand with near reverence. Jack hummed and nodded as he moved to put the dress back in the box. “Have you-?”

            Jack looked over at Davey when the other didn’t continue. “Have I what?”

            “Well… have you ever thought about having any more kids?” Davey asked hesitantly.

            Jack froze and blinked owlishly. “Uh… well, no.” And that was the truth. Jack hadn’t really had time to think about having any other kids. “I guess I just figured three was a lot to handle on my own.”

            Davey nodded but Jack could see that something was eating at him.

            “What about you? You thinkin’ about kids?” Jack asked and he hated how nervous he sounded asking that.

            “I dunno, maybe,” Davey said with a shrug and rubbed his hands on his pants.

            The silence between them was a little awkard as Jack closed up the box of baby clothes. “So, what’s up, Dave?”

            “What?” Davey asked, as if Jack had broken him out of a daze.

            “You came in here for a reason,” Jack laughed.

            “Oh, yeah!” Davey nodded. “I’m having dinner with my folks tomorrow night and uh… well like I told you before they want to meet you.” Jack nodded.

            “I’ll see if Race and Spot can babysit tomorrow,” Jack said.

            “Great,” Davey said and he bit his lip. “I… uh, I have something else I wanted to talk to you about.” Davey fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. “I heard about you and Katherine’s fight because of me.” Davey’s voice was quiet, and he avoided looking at Jack.

            “It wasn’t because of you, Davey,” Jack said and took Davey’s hand.

            “It was,” Davey said firmly.

            “Davey, I don’t mean for this to sound the way it’s gonna come out, but it ain’t fair for Katherine to tell me what I can and can’t do. I’s a grown adult. I got these kids to look after, sure, but you spendin’ time ‘round ‘em ain’t a bad thing. It’s once and a while and if they was uncomfortable, they would tell me.” Jack tilted Davey’s chin up so Davey had to look at him. “They _like_ you, Davey. They like it when you’re here.”

            “Really?” Davey asked quietly.

            “Yeah, they do.”

            “Okay,” Davey said and gave Jack’s hand a squeeze.

            “Don’t worry ‘bout me an’ Kath. That’ll sort itself out. You just worry ‘bout me an’ you, and you and those hellions that’re my children,” Jack joked with a grin.

            “Can do,” Davey said with a light laugh.

…..

            Jack fidgeted with his cufflinks. “How do I look?” Jack asked for what had to be the fifth time in the last ten minutes.

            Race rolled his eyes. “Jack, you look fine. They’s gonna love you.”

            “I ain’t good at this,” Jack muttered.

            “You’s only done it once, and it ain’t like ol’ man Pulitzer was really gonna like anybody,” Race pointed out.

            “I want this to go well,” Jack said.

            “What’re you really worried about?” Race asked and moved over to fix Jack’s tie.

            “What if they don’t like me, and then that makes it so Davey don’t like me?” Jack asked. He knew he was being ridiculous, but he couldn’t help it.

            “Davey’s crazy ‘bout you, Cowboy. Just be polite and don’t try too hard to impress ‘em. That’s where you always screw it up.” Race patted Jack’s chest and nodded toward the door. “Go and get ‘em tiger.”

            “You sure you’re gonna be alright to watch the kids?” Jack asked.

            Race nodded. “Spot’ll be here any minute to help me out. I’ve got dinner cookin’, I know where all the emergency numbers are, and I’ll call if somethin’ major happens. But it **_won’t_** so just go!” Race said and shoved Jack toward the door. “Come give your dad goodbye hugs and kisses!”

            Lilabet, Benjy and Atticus all came from the dining room where they’d been playing Candyland at the table.

            “Good luck, Daddy,” Lilabet said and kissed Jack’s cheek.

            “You’ll do fine,” Atticus said and patted Jack’s cheek reassuringly. Jack huffed a laugh and hugged him.

            Benjy came up last and looked Jack up and down seriously. “You look good, Daddy.” Jack hugged him tightly and when Benjy pulled back he gave Jack a small smile. “Knock ‘em dead.”

            “Thanks, B.” Jack pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Alright, I’m headin’ out. Be good for Uncle Race and Uncle Spot.”

            “We will!” They chorused in unison. Jack gave them a look and then grabbed his keys, pulled his shoes on, and headed out.

            He was nervous as he made his way to the store. He picked up a nice thing of flowers for Davey’s mother, Ester he reminded himself in his head. Davey had warned him against bringing wine or anything like that because Davey’s parents were very strict about adhering to Jewish dietary law. So Davey told Jack what flowers Ester liked.

            Jack felt like he was going to vibrate out of his skin as he found his way to Davey’s parents home. He tapped his fingers restlessly for a moment after he’d parked. He took a deep breath.

            “Shit!” Jack swore when his phone went off in his pocket. He pulled it out and read the message from Davey.

_From: Hot For Teacher_

_I’m waiting outside for you. Take a deep breath. Everything will go fine._

 

            Jack took a deep breath as was instructed and got out of the car, taking the flowers and his keys with him. He locked his car and walked up to the building and, as promised, Davey was standing outside on the stoop.

            “Hey,” Jack greeted and his voice came out strained.

            “Jack, they’re gonna love you,” Davey said and smiled at him reassuringly. He gave Jack a soft, but chaste, kiss before he took Jack’s free hand and walked them inside and over to the elevator. Davey squeezed Jack’s hand gently and Jack forced himself to let the tension out of his shoulders.

            They stepped out on the right floor and Jack let Davey lead him. Davey knocked and rocked on his feet as they waited. The door opened and Jack straightened up when a very pretty older lady opened the door. She had round face, big blue eyes, and curly blonde hair that was shot through with grey. “דוד! חיכינו לנצח! בואו לבוא לא מסתתרים רק בפתח” Jack paled as he realized he had no idea what Davey’s mother was saying.

            Davey smiled but then he nodded to Jack, “אמא לא תהיה גסה. ג'ק לא מדבר עברית”

            “I’m so sorry, I wasn’t thinking,” Ester said and shook her head at herself. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jack. I’m Ester Jacobs.”

            “Pleasure’s all mine, ma’am,” Jack said and smiled at her. He took in her kind face and he could see quite a lot of Davey and Sarah in her features. “These are for you.” Jack offered her the flowers and she lit up.

            “Oh these are lovely, how thoughtful of you, Jack, but please just call me Ester.” She turned toward the inside of the apartment. “Meyer, Les!” Ester called. “ _David_ and Jack are here!”

            “Come on,” Davey said with a light laugh and toed off his shoes before going further into the apartment. Jack followed his lead and he sat down next to Davey on the couch.

            “ _David_ ,” Meyer said when he walked in and Davey rushed over to give his father a hug. Jack stood and smiled at Davey’s father. “This must be Jack.”

            “Yessir,” Jack said and offered his hand. “Pleasure to meet you.”

            Meyer shook Jack’s hand with a warm smile that crinkled his dark eyes. While Davey’s features resembled his mother’s, he definitely got his coloring from his father. “Please, just Meyer will be fine.”

            “Yessir,” Jack said with a smile.

            “I like this one,” Meyer said conspiratorially to Davey, who blushed.

            “Papa,” Davey muttered and shook his head.

            “David!” A lanky teenager was grinning from where he on the other side of the room.

            “Les… Les, don’t,” Davey warned but it was too late. The younger boy had launched himself into Davey’s arms. Davey nearly fell over and he groaned under the weight of his brother. “Aren’t you getting a little old for this?”

            “Never!” Les laughed and Jack bit his lip to stifle his laughter. “So, this is the boyfriend?” Les asked, suddenly serious. Jack felt his laughter die and he was just biting his lips from nerves. He sized Jack up for a second before nodding resolutely. “I don’t know about his personality but he’s hot enough.”

            “Les!” Davey hissed and Jack was sure that their faces were the same shade of red.

            “Go help your mother,” Meyer said and lightly smacked Les in the back of the head. Les grinned as he left the room. “I apologize, he can be a bit much at times. He has a lot of energy for nineteen.”

            “He’s fine,” Jack said and waved off Meyer’s apology. “I work with excitable kids ‘round his age. I know how it is.”

            “Oh?” Meyer asked. “What kind of work do you do? Do you teach like _David_?”

            Jack shook his head. “No, I’s an art therapist. I work with kids who are on parole, or have been abused, or just need a healthy outlet. Most of my kids are from the foster care system.”

            “What have I missed?” Ester asked.

            “Jack was just telling me what he does for a living,” Meyer said.

            “Oh?” Ester asked and smiled.

            Jack rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. “It ain’t nothin’ special, really.”

            “Jack works with foster kids, Mama,” Davey said proudly. “He’s an art therapist.”

            Ester smiled. “That’s wonderful, Jack.” Jack flushed from embarrassment.

            “Thank you, ma’am,” Jack said and ducked his head.

            “Since we’re on the subject of children,” Ester said smoothly and Jack felt Davey tense up beside him. “Jack, why don’t you tell us about your children. We’ve heard a little from _David_ and Sarah, but it’s not the same.”

            Jack smiled at that. “I’ve got two boys and a girl. Benjamin, but we call ‘im Benjy, is the oldest, then there’s Atticus and Elizabeth, they’s twins.”

            “Atticus, that’s interesting,” Ester said. “Like the character from _To Kill A Mockingbird_?”

            “Precisely,” Jack said and laughed. “Atticus liked the sound and then he really liked Atticus in the movie so that’s why he picked it.”

            Ester and Meyer both looked confused.

            “He picked it?” Ester asked.

            Jack opened his mouth but then he glanced at Davey nervously, searching for some kind of guidance. Davey just nodded encouragingly. “Yes, ma’am. Atticus is transgender so he picked his name hisself.”

            They both nodded and Jack was relieved to see there was no judgement there.

            “So how old are your children?” Meyer asked.

            “Benjy’s eight now, and the twins’ll be six in a little over a month,” Jack said.

            “So young,” Ester said. “I remember when _David_ and Sarah were that young, and Les too.”

            “This would be the perfect moment to show me Davey’s baby pictures,” Jack said with a grin. Davey’s face paled.

            “Mama, please don’t. If you love me, your son, you won’t do this to me.”

            “Oh, but _David_ you were so precious in your baby pictures,” Ester said sweetly but there was a wicked gleam in her eye.

            “Believe me, my son, the second Jack said baby pictures… you were doomed,” Meyer said and patted Davey’s shoulder consolingly. Davey moved over to flop down face first in the couch.

            “I hate my life!” Davey yelled into the couch cushions.

…..

            Jack was laughing at Les’s story when his phone buzzed in his pocket. “Sorry, ‘xcuse me for just a second.” Jack got up and patted Davey’s shoulder before stepping out of the living room and answering his phone. “Everythin’ alright?” Jack asked, recognizing his landline’s number on his caller ID.

            “Yeah, the kiddos just wanted to say goodnight since it’s gettin’ close to their bedtimes,” Race said.

            “Goodnight, Daddy!” Jack heard his kids say and then they babbled their own short message over each other and Jack just smiled.

            “’Night, kiddos. I’ll see ya in a little bit. I love yous.” Jack smiled as he heard another round of goodnights before Race was back, Spot probably taking the kid to bed.

            “I’ll see ya later, Cowboy. Don’t stay out too late.” Jack could hear the innuendo thick in his voice.

            “Yeah, yeah. I won’t.” Jack grinned. “See ya in a bit.” Jack hung up and he turned to see Davey poking his head out to check on him.

            “Everything alright?” Davey asked.

            “Yeah, just sayin’ goodnight. Past the kids’ bedtimes so Spot and Race’re puttin’ ‘em to bed,” Jack said as he tucked his phone back into his pocket.

            Davey nodded and smiled. He offered his hand. “Come on, we’ll say our goodnights and then we’ll get you back home.”

            Jack nodded and let Davey tug him back inside.

…..

            “So you’ve met his parents but _I_ haven’t met him yet?” Medda asked, insulted.

            “Mama, I don’t wanna overwhelm ‘im. When I was meetin’ his family it was just his mom, dad and little brother. Meetin’ our family means meeting you, one of the most formidable women in the world, and the horde of siblings and their spouses/significant others.” Jack pulled a face.

            “James Sawyer Kelly, do not tell me that you are afraid of him meeting your family.”

            “Fine, then I won’t tell you,” Jack muttered. Medda gave him the stink eye and he sighed heavily. “Mama, what do you want from me?”

            “I want to meet him!” Medda said.

            “And I want you to meet him, but maybe Sunday dinner ain’t the time to do it,” Jack said and shoved his hands into his back pockets.

            “Nonsense, it’s the perfect time. I want you to invite him, Jack.”

            “Alright!” Jack surrendered with a dramatic sigh. “But if this sends him runnin’ for the hills, I’m blamin’ you.”

…..

            “Don’t worry,” Jack said as he, Davey, and the kids drove to Medda’s.

            “Who’s worried?” Davey asked anxiously.

            “Definitely not you,” Jack said sarcastically.

            Davey glared at him. “Last week you were a mess when you met my parents, give me a little slack.”

            “You don’t gotta worry, Davey. Yaya’s real nice,” Lilabet said with a wide grin. “It’s all Daddy’s brothers and his sister that you gotta worry about.”

            “Lilabet!” Jack admonished as Davey slumped down in his seat.

            They parked and Jack sent the kids on ahead inside, rolling his eyes at the way that Benjy and Lilabet were giggling at seeing Davey’s ashen face.

            “You know they’re just messin’ ‘round wit’ you, right?” Jack asked and put his hand on Davey’s thigh.

            Davey nodded but kept his mouth firmly shut. He looked like he was going to vomit.

            “Davey, look at me,” Jack said and held Davey’s chin between his index finger and his thumb. “It’s gonna be fine. They’s gonna love you ‘cause I do.” Jack leaned in and he kissed Davey soundly. Davey relaxed a little and when he pulled back he was smiling, some of his color returned. “C’mon.”

            They went inside and Jack was thankful that his siblings were most occupied with their own conversation and weren’t paying any attention to Jack and Davey as they walked in. Medda came over and Jack smiled brightly. “Mama, this is David; Davey this is my mother, Miss Medda Larkin.”

            “So this is the Davey I’ve been hearing so much about,” Medda said and she smiled as she pulled Davey into a gentle hug. “I’ll introduce you to everyone.” Medda expertly separated Jack and Davey, Davey only shooting Jack a small panicked look. Jack just nodded encouragingly as Medda walked Davey over to where Albert and JoJo were talking.

            “He looks like he’s just realized he’s in the wolves’ den,” Race snorted and slung an arm around Jack’s neck.

            “He wants to make a good impression,” Jack said, “so be nice.”

            “When aren’t I?” Race asked with a sly grin, but when Jack shot him a look he softened and nodded. “Alright, you win Cowboy.”

            Davey was introduced to Albert and JoJo, then Smalls, Race, and Spot, and then to Crutchie. Jack thanked whoever was listening that Medda had the good sense to put the crazy ones in the middle and leave sweet tempered Crutchie for last.

            “That wasn’t so bad was it?” Jack asked as Davey sat down beside him and leaned into him.

            “Need I remind you of what you were like when you met my parents?” Davey asked and pressed a kiss to the corner of Jack’s jaw before settling his head on Jack’s shoulder.

            “Shuddup.”

            The night went surprisingly well. They had dinner and it went off without a hitch. The only slight hiccup was when they were watching the Yankees game and during a commercial, Davey mentioned that he was more of a Mets fan. He was met with mostly hissing, booing, and jeers, and one enthusiastic “YEEEEEEESSSSSS!!!!” from Race (also a Mets fan).

            After the game they went home, Davey intending to spend the night, got the kids tucked into bed snuggly, before falling into bed themselves.

            “I feel a lot better,” Jack said around a yawn as he shifted to get comfortable.

            Davey hummed.

            “We’ve gotten through the awkward first meetin’ stuff, it’s smooth sailin’ from here on it.”

            “Jack, I want to have a kid.”

            “Fuck.”

            It was not going to be smooth sailing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow this chapter is definitely a long one! So tell me what y'all think, a lot has happened in this chapter! Also the reason that Davey's name is italicized when Ester and Meyer say it is because they're using the Hebrew pronunciation instead of the anglicized pronunciation.  
> -James  
> Translations for the Hebrew (which I used google translate for so if it's wrong I apologize)  
> דוד! חיכינו לנצח! בואו לבוא לא מסתתרים רק בפתח : David! We've been waiting forever! Come in come in don't lurk in the doorway  
> אמא לא תהיה גסה. ג'ק לא מדבר עברית : Mama don't be rude. Jack doesn't speak Hebrew


	11. Before the Wedding

            _Jack, I want to have a kid_.

            That phrase had been rattling around in Jack’s head ever since Davey had said it. Jack hadn’t been able to come up with a response except for the stupid “fuck” that had come out of his mouth.

            He and Davey had hardly had time to talk since he’d shoved his foot so far into his mouth it was in his stomach because Spot and Race’s wedding was three weeks away. Jack was stuffing invitations into their envelopes and handing them off to his kids so they could use their little sponges and seal them.

            Jack felt a headache forming and he pinched the bridge of his nose.

            “If you need to take a break, Jack, you can,” Spot said from where he too was shoving invitations into their envelopes.

            “No, I’m fine. Need to keep busy anyway,” Jack said and went back to the mind-numbing task.

            “What is it? You’ve got the ‘I did somethin’ really stupid’ face.”

            “I did somethin’ really stupid,” Jack said blandly. Jack looked at where Atticus, Lilabet, and Benjy were sitting and flicking water at each other with their sponges. “Hey kiddos, can you go and see if Uncle Race needs help? Me and Uncle Spot are gonna take a break.”

            The kids nodded and all left the room.

            “Spill,” Spot said pointedly.

            “After you and Racer tol’ me about wantin’ to have a baby, I was goin’ through the kids’ baby stuff to see if there was anythin’ you might be able to use,” Jack started and rubbed his hands on his pants. “Davey found me and we was lookin’ together and he brought up kids. When I asked ‘im if he wanted kids he didn’t really say much so I thought that was that.”

            “But it wasn’t,” Spot said when Jack hesitated.

            “After dinner at Mama’s he said he wanted to have a kid, Spot.” Jack bit his lip. “And I just stared at him.”

            “Did you say anythin’?” Spot asked. “Or did you just stare like an idiot.”

            “I said ‘fuck’ and turned over because I was panickin’!” Jack hissed and shook his head.

            “You’re a fuckin’ moron, Jack Kelly.”

            “Tell me ‘bout it,” Jack muttered miserably.

…..

_-1 week until the wedding-_

            Jack nodded in approval as he picked up Spot, Race, his, and Albert’s suits. Jack was just glad that Albie managed to get something that didn’t clash horribly with Race or Spot’s suits. Jack had a sneaking suspicion that was the handiwork of his mother.

            Jack got them home and was hanging them in the spare closet when he heard a knock on the door. “Can one of my lovin’ children get the door?!” Jack called.

            “I got it!!!” Atticus shouted and Jack shook his head as he heard Atticus’s feet thundering across the floor. Jack heard the door open and a soft, but inaudible, conversation. “It’s Davey!!” Jack nearly dropped Spot’s suit pants.

            He and Davey hadn’t really had the opportunity to speak to each other since the night that Davey had talked about wanting to have kid. They’d both been busy. Jack with wedding stuff and finishing up his end of session paperwork, and Davey with the school’s end of year testing.

            Jack took a breath. “’M down here, Davey!” Jack could feel himself tensing up for a fight, on instinct, as Davey’s footsteps filled his ears.

            “I hope- I’m not interrupting?” Davey asked and Jack turned to look at him. Davey looked just as nervous as Jack felt on the inside.

            “Nah, just gettin’ thin’s settled for the weddin’,” Jack shrugged and finished hanging up Albert’s suit. He brushed his hands on his pants before slipping them into his back pockets/

            They both stood there just awkwardly avoiding the other’s eyes.

            “Are we okay?” Davey finally asked. When Jack looked at him Davey’s eyes were wide and nervous, and Jack hated seeing that look on Davey’s face.

            “Yeah, Dave,” Jack said quietly, the tension bleeding out of him and leaving his shoulders slumped, “we’s alright.”

            “I just… I know what I said must have been sudden but I just thought you should know. I don’t want us to not be able to talk to each other. And I don’t want us to lie to each other either.” Davey picked at the strap on his wristwatch.

            “I don’t want that neither, Davey,” Jack said and he took a breath. “So I’s just gonna come out wit’ it. What you said scared the shit outta me.” Jack watched Davey’s face fall a little. “I’m just not sure. I get wantin’ to be a dad, obviously,” Jack chuckled weakly, “but I ain’t sure I’s ready for that kinda conversation yet.”

            “Okay,” Davey said and he looked relieved.

            “So we’s alright?” Jack asked.

            “Yeah. And after all the craziness from the wedding the twins’ birthday is over, can we sit down and talk about this? Really talk?”

            “Of course, Davey. I just need some time to think ‘s all.”

            “Okay,” Davey said and he seemed to deflate a little in relief at having everything out in the open between them. “Can I kiss you now?”

            “Please do,” Jack said.

            Davey crossed the short space between them and cradled Jack’s face for just a second before he kissed Jack. It made Jack’s skin prickle as they poured everything they’d been feeling for the past couple of weeks into it.

            “Gross! Uncle Spot, they’re kissin’ again!” Jack pulled back to glare at Lilabet. Davey had hidden his face in Jack’s neck and was laughing silently. Jack swatted his shoulder and rolled his eyes.

            “They’s adults, princess, they do that,” Spot said and rounded the corner, lifting Lilabet into his arms.

            “I won’t _ever_ kiss a boy!” Lilabet swore.

            “Small miracles,” Jack said quietly and Davey snorted into Jack’s shoulder.

            “Not even me?” Spot asked, offended, but gave Jack a small grin when Lilabet was fiddling with Spot’s shirt collar.

            “It ain’t the same thing,” Lilabet said. “You don’t count.”

            Spot scowled at that and set her down. “Get outta here, I gotta talk to your dad.” Lilabet scowled at him and walked off. Spot rolled his eyes. “She’s gettin’ sassy in her old age.”

            “Unfortunately,” Jack said and kept his hand on Davey’s back as Davey straightened up.

            “I ain’t interruptin’?” Spot asked and glanced between the two of them.

            “It’s fine,” Davey said. “I’ll let you two talk.” Davey pressed a kiss to Jack’s temple before he walked off to where the kids were no doubt running wild.

            “You twos alright?” Spot asked and moved to smooth out an invisible wrinkle in Jack’s suit jacket.

            “Yeah, we’s gonna wait until after the weddin’ and the twins’ birthday party to talk. Then we’s gonna lay it all out and just talk,” Jack said. Spot nodded approvingly.

            “Good.”

            “Spot… do ya think I’d be crazy to… I dunno…” Jack shrugged.

            “Probably, but I think you’s crazy most times, Cowboy.” Spot punched Jack’s arm. “C’mon, I need you to help me talk to the damn florist.”

…..

            “And then Jack here goes to take the turn to run home, but his cleat was stuck in the dirt by third, and he falls face first into the dirt, wrenching his ankle on the way down.”

            Davey nearly choked on his water as he snorted back a laugh. Jack slumped down in his seat in embarrassment as Spot told stupid stories from when Jack was in high school.

            “Spot, c’mon. Davey don’t wanna hear this,” Jack muttered and shook his head.

            “No, it’s nice to see you weren’t always so suave and charming,” Davey grinned and Jack glared at him.

            “Traitor,” Jack muttered.

            “They’s plenty o’ stories about Jack that I could tell ya, but,” Spot glanced at his watch, “I gotta go. Racer’ll have my head if I don’t get home on time.”

            “What’s that about?” Jack asked.

            Spot flushed. “Uh… we’s on a schedule.” Jack frowned, not getting it. Spot glanced at Davey and then ducked his head. “For gettin’ pregnant, Jack.”

            “Oh, yeah,” Jack said, his ears burning a little.

            “I’ll see ya later, Jack, Davey. Tell the kids I said ‘bye’,” Spot grinned and patted Jack’s shoulder.

            “Will do,” Jack said.

            “I should probably go too,” Davey said when he glanced at his own watch.

            Jack bit his lip. “You don’t have to go,” Jack said quietly. Davey looked at him with trepidation.

            “I don’t want to make things worse between you and Katherine,” Davey said and he rubbed his hands on his pants.

            “Davey,” Jack said and he took a deep breath. “I ain’t sure I care what Kath thinks ‘bout you an’ me anymore. I care about you, the kids like you, and I trust you to be ‘round ‘em. Them’s just the facts. If Kath don’t like it then I guess she’ll just have to get over it.”

            Davey took a moment before he nodded. “Alright then, but I don’t have any clothes.”

            “Then it’s a good thing I like seein’ ya in mine, huh?” Jack grinned.

…..

            “Are you and Mama fightin’?” Benjy asked as Jack tucked him into bed.

            “A little, yeah.” Jack asked and smoothed out Benjy’s blanket.

            “Why?” Benjy asked and frowned.

            “It’s complicated,” Jack said. “She don’t like that me and Davey spend a lot of time together.”

            “But why?” Benjy asked and looked genuinely distressed. “Me, Atti, and Lilabet really like Davey. He helps us with our homework, and he tells bad jokes that make us laugh, and he’s real nice.”

            “I don’t know, B,” Jack said honestly and smiled at Benjy reassuringly. “But I’s real glad that you all like ‘im so much. Now, get some sleep. You got practice tomorrow.” Jack ducked down to give Benjy his goodnight kiss.

            “Night, Daddy.”

            “Night, Benjy.” Jack gave his head a quick kiss before he got up to go and turn the light out.

            He crossed over to the twins’ room to check and make sure they were both still settled. They’d both started getting restless around bedtime. They were both laying down and quiet so Jack walked into his bedroom where Davey was checking something on his phone.

            “Kids all settled?” Davey asked.

            “Yeah,” Jack hummed and moved over to sit next to Davey on the bed. He slumped against Davey’s shoulder. “Benjy asked me why me and Katherine were upset with each other.”

            “What did you tell him?” Davey asked and rubbed Jack’s back.

            “The truth,” Jack said and buried his face in Davey’s neck, his nose brushing against a freckle he’d noticed.

            “How’d he take it?”

            “He didn’t really understand because he said that he, Lilabet, and Atticus really like you,” Jack said and smiled.

            “He really said that?” Davey asked quietly.

            “Yeah, he did.” Jack pulled back to smile at Davey who was staring back at him in disbelief. “And I gotta say, that I’m inclined ta agree wit’ ‘em.” Jack grinned and kissed Davey. It was a little sloppy and lopsided since they were both smiling.

            “You’re a dork,” Davey said and ran his fingers through Jack’s hair.

            “Yeah, but you love me anyway,” Jack said.

            “Yeah… I do,” Davey said and bumped their noses together. Jack felt something warm stir in his chest.

            “Did you just-?”

            “I did,” Davey said with a nod.

            “Wow…” Jack breathed out. He pressed forward and kissed Davey soundly, pressing Davey back into the bed. Jack shifted so that he was propped up over Davey and he had to pull away because he couldn’t stop the huge grin from spreading.

            “It’s not that spectacular,” Davey laughed as Jack ducked his head to press kisses to Davey’s jaw and then down his neck.

            “It is,” Jack said and nipped gently at Davey’s pulse point, making Davey moan quietly.

            “How couldn’t I?” Davey asked as he toyed with the short curls at the nape of Jack’s neck. Jack looked at Davey. He couldn’t articulate everything he wanted to say so he just kissed Davey again and tried to communicate it all that way. Davey made a noise that Jack swallowed, but then Davey was shoving at his shoulder lightly. “If we’re fooling around, go lock the door.” Jack nodded and he practically flailed out of bed so he could get to the door and lock it. He came back to bed and Davey pulled him in for another kiss that had Jack nearly vibrating out of his skin.

            Jack slipped his hands under the back of Davey’s shirt and traced the dimple in Davey’s back. Davey pulled back and grabbed the collar of his shirt so he could pull it off. Jack leaned back to give Davey the room. Davey tossed his shirt aside and he moved to get Jack’s off as well, but his hands were shaking too badly. Jack pulled it off and tossed it in the same general direction as Davey’s before cradling Davey’s face and pulling him back in for a kiss.

            He pressed Davey back into the bed and let his hand wander across now-familiar skin. He mouthed his kisses down Davey’s neck until he was sucking a mark into Davey’s chest. Davey bit his lip to muffle a moan as his hand twisted in Jack’s hair.

            Jack’s eyes stung a little but it felt really good and he hummed his approval into the purplish mark that he’d left on Davey’s skin. “We’s gonna have to be quiet,” Jack reminded and Davey nodded. After that, Jack let Davey pull him back up for a kiss but he let his hand wander down to Davey’s sweatpants and slip his hand under the fabric.

            Davey’s hips twitched up towards Jack’s touch and he tipped his head back. It wounded like his exhale had been ripped out of him. Jack felt his own breath catch at how Davey looked. Jack smiled and pressed open-mouthed kisses to Davey’s neck as he brushed his fingers over the soft material of Davey’s boxers. He could feel the way that Davey’s cock was already hard and pushing at the fabric.

            “You wan’ me to fuck you, Davey?” Jack asked quietly into Davey’s neck before nipping at the curve of Davey’s jaw. “Or do you want me ta getcha off just like this?” Davey’s eyes were shut tight and his breathing was shallow and irregular. “You gotta tell me, Davey.”

            “Fuck me,” Davey said, his voice raspy. “Jack, please, fuck me.”

            “Okay, alright,” Jack said and kissed Davey’s cheek softly before he had to pull away to grab lube and a condom from the bedside table. Jack shushed Davey softly when Davey practically _whined_ at the loss of contact. “’M righ’ here,” Jack said as he moved to pull Davey’s sweats and underwear off. He tossed them aside with a lazy flick of his wrist.

            Davey shivered and Jack had a feeling it was a mix of anticipation and how cool the room was. Jack pressed a kiss to Davey’s chest before he shifted so he was knelt between Davey’s legs.

            “’M just gonna open ya up for me,” Jack said and flipped the cap off the lube so he could slick up his fingers. He was kissing Davey gently when he pressed the first one in. Davey sucked in a sharp breath through his nose and he broke their kiss so he could press his face into Jack’s shoulder. Jack made a soothing noise and pressed a kiss to Davey’s temple, already starting to gain a sheen of sweat.

            Jack slowly added a second finger and he jolted when he felt a hard pinch to his shoulder. Davey was biting him to keep quiet, and Jack couldn’t say that he didn’t like it. Jack made sure to stretch Davey carefully before he added a third finger. Davey was shaking and Jack kept up a quiet stream of platitudes and praise. Jack flexed his fingers at the right angle and Davey’s hips jolted up as Jack found what he was looking for.

            “You think you’s ready to take me?” Jack asked and peppered kisses to the side of Davey’s face and across his chest.

            “Yeah,” Davey managed to get out. Jack nodded and Davey made a disgruntled noise when Jack pulled his fingers out of him.

            “Just gimme a second, Davey,” Jack said placatingly as he clumsily stripped off his sweats and boxers in one go. He kicked them off and opened the condom. He got it on and slicked himself up before he settled again between Davey’s thighs. “You ready?” Jack asked and swiped his thumb across Davey’s cheekbone.

            “Yes,” Davey breathed out and pulled Jack in for a kiss. Jack aligned his and Davey’s hips and pressed into him slowly. Jack made a low noise at not only the feeling of Davey around him, but the light sting of Davey’s nails digging into the back of his neck.

            Jack paused to let Davey adjust, pulling away from their kiss and resting his head on Davey’s shoulder. Davey brushed his fingers through Jack’s hair and took a stuttering deep breath. “Jack, move. Please.” His voice was small and wavered but Jack just nodded and he kept his head resting on Davey’s shoulder as he pulled his hips back and then pushed them back in.

            Jack shifted his hips and picked up the pace as Davey bit down on any moans. Jack kept having to press his lips together to stay quiet as he felt himself being pulled closer to the edge. Davey’s hands grounded him and kept his mind from whiting out. Davey had one hand in Jack’s hair and the other was tracing the curve of his spine. Jack snapped his hips forward and that tipped Davey over the edge.

            Jack hissed through his teeth as Davey’s nails bit into his back, no doubt leaving light scrapes, and his hand tightened in Jack’s hair. Between the bright flashes of pleasure-pain, Davey was pulling very hard nor were his nails particularly sharp, and Davey clenching around him, Jack came hard. His arms shook and his breath locked up in his chest as he felt the warmth radiating from his head to his feet.

            Jack felt his breath leave in a sudden burst and he kept his head ducked. He hardly felt like he could hold himself up anymore. He gently pulled out of Davey, tied off and tossed the condom, before slumping down on the bed and looking at Davey blearily, white spots still blurring the edges of his vision.

            “I love you,” Jack mumbled and pressed a sloppy kiss to Davey’s shoulder.

            “I know, and I love you,” Davey said and shifted so he could press a kiss to Jack’s forehead. “Let’s get boxers back on you real quick, then you can go to sleep.” Davey slipped from bed and Jack grumbled until he felt a cool hand on his hip, gently coaxing him to turn over. Davey helped Jack to coordinate his limbs and get him back into underwear at least. Jack pulled Davey down for a sweet kiss. Davey, already having his boxers on, settled back down on the bed. Jack shifted closer so he could leech away some of Davey’s body heat.

            “Night, Jackie,” Davey said and pressed a kiss to Jack’s forehead. He rubbed Jack’s back soothingly, though he was mindful of the scratches he’d left behind.

            “Night, Dave,” Jack said around a yawn.

…..

            “No one’s gonna notice ‘em, Davey,” Jack said quietly as the kids darted ahead of them. Benjy ran onto the field to where his team was stretching and warming up, while Lilabet and Atticus had decided to run off with some other kids around their age to the playground.

            “But they’re right _there_ on your neck,” Davey whispered.

            Jack reached up and touched the marks from Davey’s nails. “Don’t worry about it.”

            Davey didn’t seem satisfied with the answer but he let it drop. It wasn’t until Katherine showed up, she always tried to come to as many of Benjy’s practices as she could and she never missed a game, that things got awkward.

            “What happened to your neck?” Katherine asked after she’d given Jack her customary hello hug.

            Davey’s face turned pink and he avoided looking anywhere other than where Benjy was taking up his spot on second base.

            Jack shrugged casually. “Nothin’ to worry about. How’re you?” Jack asked. Things were tense and he could feel it in the air, especially when Katherine glanced between the scratches on Jack’s neck and Davey’s blushing face.

            “Fine,” Katherine said shortly.

            “Good,” Jack said with the same cool tone.

            They both sat next to each other in icy silence. Jack clapped when Benjy got an out and turned to smile at Jack, Davey, and Katherine. Davey gave him a thumbs up and Benjy mirrored it back. Jack grinned at that and took Davey’s hand in his.

            “So,” Katherine said. “Have you asked the twins about their birthday yet?”

            “No, Katherine,” Jack said, his shoulders tensing up. “’M waitin’ until after the weddin’. That’s over a month.”

            “Don’t you think they’re going to feel overlooked?” Katherine asked.

            Jack turned to her with a scowl. “They understand that Spot and Race’s weddin’ is important and really special. They haven’t even mentioned their birthdays, Katherine. If they ask me about somethin’, then I’ll figure it out. Until then, back off.” Jack gave her a look.

            “Why can’t you just do both?” Katherine asked tersely.

            Jack huffed. “Why can’t you just let it go?”

            “Guys,” Davey said quietly. “Can we not do this here?”

            “ _We_?” Katherine snapped. “This is between Jack and I, David.”

            Davey’s jaw ticked in annoyance. “This isn’t the place to have this conversation, or if we want to be accurate, this _fight_. You’re both going to embarrass and upset Benjy.”

            Jack felt a little sheepish under Davey’s stern gaze but Katherine just glared before huffing and letting it drop. When Benjy came over at their water break, Jack and Katherine both made sure to be extra smiley when he came to talk to them.

            “Am I doing good?” Benjy asked.

            “Sure are, B,” Jack said and handed Benjy his Gatorade. “You havin’ fun? I know you really liked playin’ shortstop.”

            Benjy just shrugged and swallowed his mouthful of drink. “I just like to play.”

            “That’s a really good attitude to have, Benjy,” Davey said with a smile. Benjy beamed under the praise and Katherine shifted. Benjy and Davey started talking quietly and Jack watched the way Katherine’s tension slowly started to bleed away. She was even smiling after a moment.

            “I gotta go back,” Benjy said when he glanced at the field and saw people were going back to their positions. Benjy shoved his drink into Davey’s hands before running off. It was only a few minutes before Atticus was over and grabbing at Davey’s hand and tugging to get him to come look at something.

            “Alright, Atticus, I’m coming,” Davey laughed and let himself be pulled along after he’d passed off Benjy’s drink to Jack.

            “He’s really good with them,” Katherine said after Davey and Atticus were out of earshot.

            “Yeah, he is,” Jack said and watched her carefully.

            “And they like him?” Katherine asked, picking at her already chipped nail polish.

            “They do,” Jack confirmed. “And I have to say, Benjy was pretty upset when he heard that you didn’t like Davey being around so much.”

            Katherine looked stricken. “You told him?”

            “He asked why we was fightin’, Katherine. I wasn’t gonna lie to ‘im.”

            Katherine nodded and she went back to picking at her nails.

            “I don’t understand, you _liked_ ‘im when he was Sarah’s brother. He ain’t any different now just because we’s datin’ and he’s around the kids,” Jack said.

            “I just… I don’t know, Jack. It’s not that I don’t like David, or even that I don’t trust him,” she said and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I suppose… I suppose I’m jealous, and afraid.”

            Jack frowned. “Of what?”

            “That he’ll do a better job of being their parent, and that they’ll love him more than me,” Katherine finally admitted.

            “Kath, you’re their _mother_. It don’t matter who else comes along, that ain’t changin’. They’s always gonna love you.” Jack patted her knee.

            “But… I’m not around like a mother is, I don’t do everything a mother is supposed to!” Katherine protested. Jack didn’t really hear Katherine’s voice when she said that, it was an echo of her father’s ideas.

            “Katherine Ethel Jacobs-Pulitzer,” Jack said seriously, “don’t you let your father get inside your head. Yeah, it ain’t the typical family situation, but they’s happy and they’s safe and healthy. Ain’t that what matters?”

            Katherine nodded. “Did you really have to pull the middle name?” She asked, pulling a face.

            “Situation was dire, Kath. What can I tell ya?” Jack laughed.

            Davey came back with a smile and a crown of weeds. “Atticus found a caterpillar when he and Lilabet were making flower crowns,” Davey explained.

            “Ah,” Jack hummed.

            “Now they’re playing pirates so brace for incoming injuries,” Davey laughed as he sat back down, bumping Jack’s foot with his own.

            “Will do,” Jack grinned and he leaned over to press a kiss to Davey’s cheek.

            Davey shoved Jack’s face away playfully before he took Jack’s hand in his. The rest of the day went well and it ended up with Jack and Davey kissing goodbye on the steps of Jack’s place. He shook his head at Davey who still had the weeds woven into his hair.

            Jack had it bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you guys think!  
> -James


	12. Wedding Bells

_-The night before the wedding-_

            Jack tapped his fingers nervously against his thigh as he made his way, guiding his three kids alongside him, toward where Race and Spot’s wedding was going to be.

            They were having their wedding in Brooklyn, specifically in Prospect Park. It was where they’d met for the first time. Jack grinned as he made his way over to where he could see just barely see Race and Spot surrounded by their families.

            “Jack!” Race shouted and he looked relieved to see Jack coming. He sprinted over and hugged Jack tightly. “Please save me from my mother.”

            “I’ve got it,” Jack said and patted Race’s back before letting go. Jack walked over and he smiled at Race’s sisters and his mother. “Mrs. Higgins, it’s good to see ya again.” Jack smiled and leaned down to kiss both her cheeks.

            “It’s been too long, Jack,” Maria Higgins smiled as she pinched Jack’s cheek. “And these must be the little ones.” She smiled down at where Atticus and Lilabet were peering over Benjy’s shoulder.

            “Benjy, Atti, Lilabet, this is Mrs. Higgins, Uncle Race’s mama,” Jack said and smoothed Benjy’s hair back.

            “Uncle Race has a _mom_?” Atticus asked, his eyes huge. Jack laughed.

            “Of course he does, can’t you tell they’s related?” It had been a running joke that Race was secretly adopted since he didn’t seem to look much like his family. The only genes that Race seemed to inherit was his lanky build, his curly hair, and he’d gotten his father’s blue eyes. All of Race’s sisters had dark hair and dark eyes like their mother. Jack hadn’t ever met Race’s father since Race’s mother had left him.

            “No,” Benjy said as he glanced between Race’s blond hair and Maria’s dark brown hair.

            “Well he’s mine,” Maria said proudly. “Now, Anthony told me you’re the one to talk to to try and get anything changed.”

            “I’s sure that’s exactly what he said,” Jack frowned and rolled his eyes at Race. “Kiddos, why don’t you go and help Uncle Race and Uncle Spot?” They went off and Jack turned back to Maria. “Alright, so what’s up, Mrs. H?”

            “Maria, please. We’re about to officially be family,” Maria said and smiled at Jack.

            “Alright, what’s up, Maria?” Jack asked.

            “Are you sure that we can’t make this a little more formal?” Maria asked. “They’re only getting married once.”

            “Ma’am, with all due respect as the mother of one of my best friends, please quit while you’s ahead. Racer and Spot are happy wit’ what they’s got. It’s about them, not how fancy everythin’ is.” Jack gave her a serious look.

            She bit her lip and nodded. “You’re right, of course.”

            “Racer’s been tryin’ real hard to take your advice into consideration,” Jack said and he gently took Maria’s hand in his. “It’s real important to him that you and the girls’re here, but it is _his_ weddin’.”

            “You’re a gem, Jack Kelly,” Maria said and got on her toes to kiss Jack’s cheek.

            “Let’s run through this weddin’,” Jack said and winked at her.

…..

            “And then Anthony, you will say your vows to Patrick,” The officiant said, but Race was too busy making faces at Spot to really be listening. “Anthony?”

            Race grinned and nodded. “Got it.”

            Spot rolled his eyes at Race and shook his head.

            “Do you want to run through it again?” The officiant asked and Spot looked to Race. Race shrugged.

            “Thank you, but I think we’s good, sir,” Spot said.

            “Thank you, sir,” Race said but he was practically bouncing on his feet. When officiant turned to take his things and leave Race sprinted off toward where Jack knew the bathrooms were. He frowned.

            “I’ll go after ‘im,” Jack said and patted Spot’s shoulder. Spot looked a little helpless and then nodded. Jack walked quickly toward the bathroom and walked inside. “Race? You alright?” Jack paused. “Racetrack?”

            “’M fine.” Jack frowned at the tone in Race’s voice. It was thick and shaky.

            “You sound like shit,” Jack said and moved over to the stall where Race was.

            “’M fine,” Race said and Jack took a step back as he heard Race opening the door. It swung open to reveal Race who looked shaky, sweaty, and pale.

            “You don’t look so good, c’mere,” Jack said and put his hand to Race’s forehead. Race swatted him away and shook his head.

            “I ain’t sick, Cowboy,” Race muttered and went to rinse his mouth out with water.

            “Well you ain’t well,” Jack said and gave Race a stern look. “What’s wrong?”

            “Nothin’,” Race said and swiped a hand over his face.

            “Race-” Jack started sternly.

            “I’s pregnant, Jack,” Race said lowly. “It’s just mornin’ sickness.”

            Jack had to take that in for a moment. “That’s amazin’ Racer.” Race nodded and he smiled thinly. “That’s not a good face, what is it?”

            “I ain’t told Spot yet,” Race said.

            “Why not?”

            “I dunno, I’s just scared that he’s gonna freak out and then he’s gonna run,” Race said and swiped his hand over his face. “It sounds stupid ‘cause we’s gettin’ married tomorrow but… I don’t know, Jack. What if we’s not ready.”

            “Lemme clue you in on somethin’, Race,” Jack said with a smile. “You ain’t ever ready until the kid gets here. Tell Spot whenever you feel ready, but you gotta tell ‘im. You definitely ain’t gonna be able to hide it forever.”

Race laughed and nodded. “Alrigh’. I’ll tell ‘im, but after the weddin’.”

“I’ll keep it to myself,” Jack said. “Won’t even tell Davey ‘til you tell Spot.”

“’Preciate it,” Race said.

“C’mon, we better get back. You still stayin’ the night?” Jack asked and threw an arm around Race’s shoulders.

“Yeah,” Race muttered and rolled his eyes. “That’s the one thing that Medda and Mama both insisted on, and me and Spot ain’t stupid ‘nough to try and argue when they’s on the same side of somethin’.”

“Good idea,” Jack laughed.

            They walked back casually and when Spot frowned at them, obviously concerned and silently asking what was going on, both Jack and Race shrugged casually. Race walked over and lifted Atticus up onto his hip when Atti asked.

            “You sure you’s good?” Spot asked quietly.

            “’M fine, babe,” Race said and leaned in to kiss Spot soundly. Spot studied him for a second before kissing him again softly.

            “If you’s sure.” Race just nodded and hummed.

            Jack smiled at them before he moved closer to round up his children. Benjy and Lilabet had been climbing up a tree and swinging from branches. Jack helped them down and he lifted Lilabet onto his shoulders, holding Benjy’s hand in his. “C’mon, Racer! Bring my son and let’s get goin’!”

            “I’m comin’!” Race shouted and he kissed Spot again and Jack couldn’t hear what he said, but he said something to Spot that made Spot smile. “I’s here, keep ya shirt on.” Race was grinning though so there was no bite behind the words.

            They drove back to Jack’s place and Jack went about his normal routine, getting some help from Race with dinner. Once the kids were finished with their food, Race offered to do the dishes, so Jack moved to the bathroom to draw a bath for the kids.

            Jack was tucking the twins in. “Now, get some sleep. The weddin’ is gonna be pretty busy and I don’t wantcha ta be sleepy.”

            “But can’t we stay up just a little longer?” Lilabet pleaded.

            “Uncle Race is here!” Atticus whined.

            “And he will be here tomorrow and you’ll see ‘im durin’ and after the weddin’. C’mon now, don’t be difficult.” Jack leaned down and kissed Lilabet’s head before combing her hair back from her eyes. Jack moved over to Atticus’s bed to kiss him goodnight as well. “Get some sleep.”

            They both huffed but wiggled to get comfortable.

            Jack left them to it and poked his head in to see if Benjy was out of his bath. He was in his pajamas and brushing his teeth. “You almos’ ready for bed?”

            Benjy nodded and he spit the foam from his mouth. “Just about,” Benjy said and wiped his mouth. He set his toothbrush back into the cup on the vanity.

            “C’mon kiddo, we’s gonna have a long day tomorrow,” Jack said and guided Benjy toward his bedroom. He tucked Benjy in and kissed him goodnight before he headed back out into the kitchen. Race was sitting on the counter, the dishes all clean and dried, and fiddling with his phone. “You alright?”

            Race jumped and he nodded. “Yeah.”

            “Nervous?” Jack asked. Race nodded and he looked vaguely sick. “Don’t be, you and Spot are gonna be fine. You’re gonna get married and you’s gonna have that baby and it’ll be fine.”

            “You really think so?” Race asked.

            “Yeah.”

            “Okay,” Race said and let out a whoosh of breath. “I’s gonna head to bed and try to get some sleep.”

            “Everythin’ will work out, Racer. Promise.” Jack ruffled Race’s hair.

            Race grinned and shoved Jack’s hands away. “Shuddup.”

            Jack watched Race head to the guest room and Jack decided to head to bed. He was laying down, washed and dressed, when his phone went off.

_From: Hot For Teacher <3_

_Hey. Is it alright if I get ready at your place?_

_To: Hot For Teacher <3_

_Yeah. Though I gotta warn ya it’ll be hectic._

_From: Hot For Teacher <3_

_When isn’t it?_

            Jack laughed and set his phone down so he could get some sleep.

…..

            Jack zipped up Lilabet’s dress and smoothed it down for her. “There ya go, sweet pea. Now don’t get all dirty before we gotta go.” Jack gave her a stern look and she rolled her eyes but nodded.

            “Alright, Daddy. Should I ask Uncle Race to comb my hair?”

            “No, leave Uncle Race alone. He’s really nervous.” Jack kissed the top of her head. He heard a knock and he made his way to the door. “Hey,” Jack said when he opened the door and Davey stood there, his suit in his hands. “Come on in.”

            “Thanks. I don’t know Brooklyn very well and I don’t want to get lost, leaving you alone.” Davey smiled and they walked down to Jack’s room. Jack’s suit was hanging up in the doorway to his closet, and he waved for Davey to hang his suit up there as well.

            “Don’t worry about it, I’m not gonna complain about getting’ to spend more time wit’ you,” Jack said and kissed Davey briefly. “But I gotta finish gettin’ the boys dressed, Race included.”

            “Sure thing. If you need help, don’t hesitate to call,” Davey said and moved to pull his t-shirt off. Jack waited and he let his eyes trace across Davey’s exposed skin. He had to pull himself away so that he could make sure that Atticus and Benjy were getting dressed.

            “You two alright?” Jack asked and smiled at how Atticus and Benjy were buttoning up the other’s shirt.

            “I can’t tie Atti’s tie,” Benjy said and smoothed out Atticus’s shirt with a nod.

            “Alright, c’mere Atti.” Jack knelt down and Atticus came over with his dark blue tie. Jack tied the tie efficiently and smiled at him. “There ya go, Bud.” Jack leaned in and pressed a smacking kiss to Atticus’s cheek.

            “Thanks, Daddy.” Atticus laughed and held onto the shoulder of Jack’s t-shirt. “You should get dressed, or you’ll be late.”

            “I just gotta check on Uncle Race, and then I’ll go get dressed. Just don’t get dirty, either of yous.” Jack looked at them sternly.

            “Okay,” they both said. Jack stood and he went down to the guest room to check on Race. Race was smoothing out his suit. He was fully dressed and styled to perfection.

            Jack whistled and clapped as Race turned to look at him, obviously seeking approval. “Damn, Racer. You sure know how to clean up don’tcha?”

            “Well, I hope so.” Race went to fiddle with his hair, but he stopped and dropped his hand to his side.

            “You look great. Spot’s gonna cry,” Jack said and smiled. “And if he don’t, I’ll pinch him real hard so it looks like he did.”

            Race laughed and nodded. He smoothed down his shirt, hand lingering on his stomach, before he tucked them into his pockets. “Thanks, Jack.”

            “I’m gonna go get ready, but call me if ya need me. Okay?”

            “Got it, Cowboy,” Race said. Jack nodded and he went down to his bedroom. His mouth went dry as he took in Davey in a suit. Davey was finishing up and cuffing his sleeves.

            Davey looked up and he grinned at Jack a little nervously. “Do I look alright?” Davey asked.

            “If we didn’t have to go somewhere, I’d rip that suit right offa you,” Jack said and eyed how well tailored Davey’s shirt and pants.

            Davey blushed and shook his head. “You need to get dressed.” Davey moved to the bathroom so he could fix his curly hair into something a little more tame than normal.

            “I’m goin’,” Jack muttered and stripped out of his clothes. He pulled his suit on and he smoothed everything out. He moved into the bathroom to fix up his hair and Davey’s eyes were wide as he took Jack in. “I clean up good don’t I?”

            “Yeah,” Davey squeaked out and finished up with his hair. Jack fixed his hastily before he washed the gel off his hands. “Come here, you’ve got a- just-” Jack looked at Davey and Davey moved over and fixed Jack’s hair. Jack kissed Davey in thanks.

            “We should get Race to Brooklyn before he works himself up into a mess,” Jack said and slipped his hand into Davey’s. Jack grinned and they walked out into the living room. “C’mon! Let’s get goin’!!” The kids came out and all went to put on their shoes. Race walked out a little slower, his shoes already on, and smiled nervously.

            “You look great, Race,” Davey said and smiled at him.

            “Thanks, Davey,” Race said. “We ready?” He asked and chewed his lip.

            “Let’s go.”

…..

            Jack smiled and he directed people to where the ceremony was. He checked his watch: ten minutes until the ceremony was meant to start. Jack went to where Spot was pacing nervously. “Hey, you alright?” Jack asked and clapped Spot’s shoulder.

            “I’m gonna vomit,” Spot said, his voice strained.

            “You’re gonna be fine,” Jack said.

            “You’ve got Race’s ring, right?” Spot asked.

            “Got it right here,” Jack said and patted his jacket pocket where Race’s ring sat in a box.

            “What if I forget my vows?” Spot asked and smoothed his hands on his pants.

            “Then you tell Race what’s in here,” Jack said and tapped Spot’s chest. “You love ‘im, and you got this far. You can do this.” Jack glanced at his watch. “And you better be ready ‘cause you got two minutes.”

            “I can do this?” Spot asked. Jack nodded and he grinned at Spot encouragingly.

            “You can do this, Spot.”

            People were settled and Spot rocked on his feet nervously. Both Spot and Race were going to come from different sides so that neither of them were being walked down the aisle. Jack nodded to Spot one last time before he walked in, Albert coming in from the other side. They were going to cross to the other side and Jack and Albert grinned at each other as they high-fived.

            Jack straightened out his suit and he winked at Davey where Davey was sitting with the kids on Spot’s side of the aisle. Davey was smiling at him and he shook his head at Jack being a compulsive flirt.

            “Please stand,” the officiant said. Everyone stood and Jack took a deep breath. Spot and Race both walked in and there was a hush that no one could help. Spot and Race grinned at each other as they settled into their places.

            Both Spot and Race had tears in their eyes and Jack grinned and pat Spot’s back gently.

            The ceremony passed quickly, neither of the boys forgetting the vows they’d written for each other. Spot and Race had their photos taken quickly so that they could get back to their friends and family.

            Jack was sitting with Davey and the kids while Spot and Race made their rounds through the crowd so that they could thank everyone. Atticus was sitting in Davey’ lap, Lilabet in Jack’s lap, and Benjy leaning against Jack’s chair.

            Jack shifted Lilabet out of his lap and he grinned at Davey as a slower song came on. “C’mon and dance with me, Dave.”

            “What?” Davey asked and his face got red.

            “I wanna dance with you,” Jack said.

            “Go, Davey. Daddy’s a pretty good dancer,” Atticus said and he slipped from Davey’s lap. He got up into Jack’s chair with Lilabet and the kids all grinned and shooed them.

            “Alright,” Davey said and he moved over to take Jack’s hand.

            They went over to where people were dancing. Jack pulled Davey in close and he smiled as Davey relaxed into Jack’s hold. They swayed slowly and Jack smiled and brushed their noses together. “This has been really crazy,” Jack said quietly and he pulled Davey even closer. “Makes ya think.”

            “Think about what?” Davey asked and raised an eyebrow.

            “About love and family and all that,” Jack said.

            “Deep thoughts,” Davey said quietly and rubbed at Jack’s back soothingly.

            Jack hummed. “Yeah.”

            They were quiet for a while and then Davey kissed Jack softly. “I love you, Jackie.”

            “I love you too, Davey,” Jack said.

…..

            Jack grinned as Lilabet stood on his feet and they swayed to the music. Jack picked her up and swung her around before kissing her cheek. He could tell by the way she curled into his chest that she was starting to get sleepy. Jack rocked her and he noticed that Benjy was practically falling asleep in Davey’s lap. Jack’s eyes swept the room so he could find his last child. He found Atticus dancing sleepily with Race.

            Jack knew that he needed to go and get the kids in bed. He carried Lilabet over to where Race was lifted Atticus up. “We should head out, Racer. These kids are getting’ sleepy.”

            “Get ‘em to bed,” Race said. “I’ll tell Spot where ya went.”

            “Thanks,” Jack said and he kissed Race’s cheek as he gently set down Lilabet, who was still mostly awake, and took Atticus from Race’s arms.

            He walked Lilabet over and smiled at Davey. “Ready to head home?”

            “Yeah,” Davey said and stood carefully so he didn’t jostle Benjy too much.

            They loaded the kids up in the car and they listened to some soft music on a low volume. Jack didn’t know why, but it made his stomach twist up to have such a domestic sort of ambience. He really had been thinking. Race and Spot’s wedding had made him think a lot about wedding and where he wanted his life to go in general.

            His brain was on autopilot as he tucked the kids into bed and got himself ready. Davey was staying the night and even with Davey in bed with him, he felt tense. He rubbed Davey’s back gently from where Davey was resting his head on Jack’s chest.

            He couldn’t help but feel pulled toward Davey.

            He couldn’t help but think that he wanted to have what he had with Davey forever.

            He couldn’t help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, Davey was thinking the same thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a little shorter since it's just the wedding, but I hope that you guys like it. Crazy things are coming up!  
> -James


	13. End of the Year

            Jack tapped his finger on his chest and stared at the ceiling. He rubbed at his eyes tiredly before he let himself relax again. He glanced over to where Davey was still sleeping, but Jack hadn’t really slept.

            He’d been thinking.

            Probably too much.

            Definitely too much.

            Jack jolted out of his thoughts when his phone rang. Davey whined and moved away from Jack so he could bury his face in a pillow. Jack stretched to grab his phone and he answered it as he slipped out of bed and headed into the bathroom.

            “Hello?”

            “HOLYSHITJACKRACERJUSTTOL’MEWE’SHAVIN’ABABY!!!!” Jack winced and pulled the phone away from his ear as he heard his brother’s excited babble.

            “Slow down, Spottie,” Jack said. “I can’t hear ya if you’s talkin’ real fast and if you’s screamin’,” Jack said and shook his head.

            Jack heard Spot take a deep breath. “Racer just tol’ me that we’s havin’ a baby, Jack!”

            “That’s great, Spot,” Jack said and grinned, glad that he didn’t have to keep that secret for very long. “I’s happy for you twos.”

            “I gotta go, but I had to tell ya,” Spot said. Jack grinned and they hung up with each other. Jack pushed his hair back away from his face with a light chuckle.

            “What’s goin’ on?” Davey asked from where he was leaning against the doorway.

            “It was Spot,” Jack said. “Race told him some news.”

            “Hope it’s not bad,” Davey frowned, concern etched into his face.

            “No, it’s all good,” Jack said and he slipped his hand into Davey’s. “Race is pregnant.”

            Davey gave Jack’s hand a squeeze and smiled. “That’s amazing.” Davey leaned into Jack. Jack could tell that Davey was still tired.

            “C’mon, back to bed.” Jack pressed a kiss to Davey’s cheek and tugged him back to bed.

            Davey hummed and he let himself be tugged back to bed. Jack flopped down and pulled Davey down with him. Davey settled between Jack’s legs and pressed his face into Jack’s neck. Jack combed his fingers through Davey’s hair and pressed a kiss to Davey’s forehead.

            “How long have you been awake?” Davey asked and it was muffled against Jack’s neck.

            “A while, I dunno,” Jack said and let his eyes slip shut just to rest his tired eyes.

            “Did you get any sleep at all?” Davey asked.

            Jack huffed out a laugh. “Not really.”

            “What’s going on?” Davey asked and shifted back so he could look at Jack.

            “’M just thinkin’,” Jack said and opened his eyes to look at Davey. “What’s with the face?” He asked as he took in the frown on Davey’s face.

            “Thinking about what?” Davey asked and brushed Jack’s hair from his eyes. “You did agree that after the wedding, we would be honest with each other,” Davey reminded.

            “I did,” Jack said and he leaned up to kiss Davey.

            “Don’t distract me,” Davey said sternly.

            Jack nodded and bit his lip to stifle a laugh at Davey’s stern, but still sleepy, face. “Yeah, I did. I’s just thinkin’ about us ‘s all.”

            “Us.”

            “Yeah, Dave. Us.”

            “What about us?” Davey asked and shifted a little nervously.

            “I dunno, just about us and where we’s goin’.”

            “And where are we going, Mr. Kelly?” Davey asked, smiling.

            “Forward, Mr. Jacobs.” Jack said and swiped his thumb over Davey’s cheekbone. “That is if you wanna. If you can put up wit’ my crazy family, my schedule wit’ the kids, and all the rest of it.”

            “Yeah,” Davey said and leaned into Jack’s touch. “I’d really like that.”

            Jack braced himself. “Enough ta move in wit’ me?”

            Davey just stared at Jack like he wasn’t sure he’d heard right. “What?” Davey asked quietly.

            “I want ya to move in wit’ me and the kids, Davey,” Jack said and just grinned at him. “I really want ya to be the first thing I see in the mornin’ and the last thing I see at night.”

            “Really? But…” Davey bit his lip. “What about Katherine?” Davey asked quietly.

            “I ain’t lettin’ Katherine dictate what makes me happy, Davey. I love you, and I want you to be in my life and in my kids’ lives. All that matters to me is if you want ta do it. So…?” Jack asked.

            “I… Yeah,” Davey said and he leaned forward to kiss Jack. “Yeah, I’ll do it,” Davey said between kisses. Jack grinned and relaxed into the bed as Davey shifted to press his face into Jack’s neck, Jack feeling Davey’s smile.

            “Then we’ll do it. I’ll talk ta Katherine about it and make sure she knows what’s goin’ on. She’ll be alright wit’ it, Davey,” Jack said and kissed Davey’s temple.

            Jack looked up when he heard a quiet knock on his door, which was cracked. Benjy poked his head in, his hair standing up wildly.

            “Wha’s goin’ on?” He asked sleepily and rubbed his eyes.

            “C’mere, B. We wanna talk to ya,” Jack said and patted the spot next to him.

            Benjy climbed into bed and curled into Jack’s side, his face pressed into Jack’s neck, mirroring Davey.

            “What’d ya think if Davey came and lived wit’ us?” Jack asked.

            Benjy pushed himself up to look at Jack, but he didn’t look confused or surprised, he looked excited and fully awake.

            “Really? Davey’ll come and live with us?”

            “Yeah, Benjy,” Davey said and propped himself up on his arms. “I’m going to come and live with you all.”

            “Good, now Dad won’t be so lonely when you aren’t here,” Benjy was grinning, and he flopped back down so that he was pressed in close to Jack.

…..

            Jack whistled as he and Davey went about making brunch. They’d honestly slept too late to call it breakfast but they were making pancakes after Lilabet and Benjy had begged. Lilabet was standing at the counter, standing on her toes and watching everything that Jack and Davey were doing.

            “You want just plain pancakes?” Jack asked.

            “Chocolate chips!” Lilabet said.

            “Chocolate chip it is,” Davey said and tapped her nose with a wink. He went over to the cabinet and dug them out, handing them to Jack.

            “Thanks, babe,” Jack said and kissed Davey’s cheek distractedly.

            “Ew,” Lilabet muttered.

            “Stop it, you,” Jack said and dumped some chocolate chips into the batter. He stirred it up again before he moved to actually start cooking them.

            “ _You_ stop it,” Lilabet said and moved to headbutt Jack’s hip.

            “Are you talkin’ back?” Jack asked.

            Lilabet bit her lip sheepishly. “Maybe a little,” she said.

            “Maybe more than a little,” Jack said and shook his head. “Go set the table for breakfast, and no more sass, alright?”

            “Alright,” Lilabet sighed and moved to grab some plates and forks.

            Jack hummed to himself as he cooked. He went to reach for something and he noticed Davey was looking at him. His smile was soft and fond, and Jack smiled back at him. “What?”

            “Nothing, Jackie. Just… you’re just a great dad is all,” Davey said and ducked his head before moving to get a mug for coffee.

            “Davey,” Jack said and flipped the pancakes before moving over to stand next to Davey. “I thought we was bein’ completely honest wit’ each other.”

            “We are,” Davey said and he shifted on his feet. He glanced out to see where Lilabet was setting the table, Atticus having joined her to help, and where they could just glimpse Benjy as he flipped through the TV looking for one of his favorite cartoons to watch. “Just… not yet. I think we need to wait to talk about it. Alright?”

            Jack frowned, a little concerned, but he nodded. “Okay, but whenever you’s ready, I’s ready.”

            Davey nodded.

            “I love you, Davey,” Jack said and kissed him quickly before he moved back to the pancakes to keep them from burning.

            “Love you too, Jack.”

…..

            “I must be out of my mind,” Davey groaned as he went over his list again. Testing was finally over and Davey wanted to have a party for his class to celebrate the end of school.

            “You’s movin’ in wit’ me, so don’t expect me to disagree,” Jack teased from where he was folding the kids’ laundry. Davey gave him a sour look. “What’s wrong, Dave?”

            “I don’t know, I just feel, no I _know_ , I’m missing something!” Davey said and scowled at the piece of paper in front of him.

            “You want me to look over it?” Jack asked.

            “Please,” Davey said and handed the list to Jack. He went back to his legal pad and jotted some other things down.

            Jack glanced over the list. It was pretty typical and it didn’t seem like Davey had left anything out. If anything, it seemed like Davey was going a little overboard. “Davey, why’re you stressin’ about this party? They’s gonna be excited no matter what ‘cause it’s gonna be summer.”

            Davey shrugged. “I just want it to be nice is all.”

            “Alright, well you got three small kiddos ‘round here who I’s sure would want to help ya plan a party,” Jack said and put the last of the folded clothes into the basket. He checked his watch. “Speakin’ of, I gotta go meet Kath to talk about the twins’ party. You gonna be okay to watch ‘em?”

            Davey gave Jack a bland look. “I keep thirty second graders in line every day, Jack.”

            “Noted,” Jack said and moved over to kiss Davey goodbye. “I’ll be right back, if they go nuts just call Race or Spot.”

            “Jack,” Davey said with a scowl. “Just go, I can handle it.”

            “Okay,” Jack said and kissed Davey again. “I’m headin’ out!” Jack shouted and he heard a chorus of goodbyes from the kids’ rooms. “Be back in a bit.”

            “Get out!” Davey laughed.

            “Yessir,” Jack said and pulled his shoes on. He headed out and met Katherine at the little café that they’d agreed on. Jack ordered a drink and it’d just arrived when Katherine came and sat down.

            “Sorry, Sarah had a thing she needed help with,” Katherine said as she pulled her hair up into a ponytail.

            “I just got here too so don’t worry ‘bout it,” Jack said and took a sip of his drink.

            “So,” Katherine said and smiled at Jack. “What’re we thinking for the twins’ birthday?”

            “They say they just wanna have the family over,” Jack said. He’d talked to the twins a day or two after the wedding and they’d both shrugged their birthday off. “So I figured I’d invite the boys, Smalls, JoJo, Mama, and anybody you thought might wanna come.”

            Katherine chewed her lip. “Edith is busy, because she’s always busy and hates kids, Ralph it out of town, Constance might come, JJ would want to, Lucy probably will be too busy with her own kids, and I’ll call Herbie.”

            “What ‘bout your parents?” Jack asked hesitantly.

            Katherine picked at Jack’s napkin. “I don’t want to overstep,” Katherine said honestly.

            “If he can behave, then we won’t have a problem,” Jack said seriously. “I ain’t havin’ ‘im upsettin’ Atticus on his birthday.”

            “I get it, Jack. I don’t like him doing it either.” Katherine scowled.

            “I ain’t accusin’ you of nothin’, Kath. I just don’t like it. He’s… he’s so sensitive,” Jack said and fiddled with his straw. “It really hurts his feelin’s.”

            “I know,” Katherine said softly. “I’ll talk to him and then I’ll call you. How about that?”

            “Alright,” Jack said. He took a sip of his drink. “They’s just one other thing.”

            “What’s up?”

            “Davey’s movin’ in wit’ me.” Jack watched the way Kath’s eyes got wide for a second.

            “Oh?” Katherine asked, her voice a little tight. “Don’t you think it’s a little soon.”

            “I dunno, Katherine. Somethin’ just feels right. Mama always tol’ me that when ya know, ya know. And I got a feelin’ ‘bout it, Katherine,” Jack said.

            “What do the kids think?”

            “They’s excited. They think it’s neat that Davey’s gonna be aroun’ all the time.” Jack watched her face carefully, but she wasn’t giving anything away. “Alright, I’ll bite. What’s your deal?”

            “Nothing,” Katherine said. “I just think it’s soon, Jack. And the kids like Davey, I’m sure, but it’s not the same as Davey moving in.”

            “Katherine,” Jack said seriously. “I get that you want what’s best, and that you don’t want Davey to replace you, but he ain’t. The kids like ‘im ‘cause he’s good with them and he _cares_. And the first thing he asked me when I asked ‘im to move in was if it was okay wit’ you ‘cause he don’t wanna make trouble.”

            Katherine bit her lip. “Okay, Jack. I’ll back off with the Davey thing.”

            “’Preciate it,” Jack said and pushed his hair back from his eyes.

…..

            Jack realized he’d never been inside Davey’s apartment. He’d walked or driven Davey home before, but he’d never been inside. Jack was helping Davey pack up his things and move them into Jack’s place.

            Jack knocked and he waited on the doorstep until Davey opened the door. “Hey,” Davey said and kissed Jack gently before he gestured for Jack to come inside.

            “Hey,” Jack said and he tucked his hands into his pockets. “So what can I do to help?”

            “Uh… well I’ve mostly gotten everything except for my books,” Davey said and gestured to his bookcase which was partially emptied into some boxes that were scattered around. “If you want to start packing boxes into the car or you can help me finish packing up the books.”

            “Alright. I can put boxes in the car and then we’ll see where you’s at,” Jack said and rubbed his hands on his pants. Davey pointed him in the direction of the boxes that needed to be loaded up. Jack took a few trips, Davey was only keeping his clothes, books, photos, and the little trinkets he had lying around. So after a handful of minutes Jack had finished, including the books that Davey had finished boxing up.

            “You want a drink?” Davey asked.

            Jack nodded. “That sounds great actually. Thanks, Dave.”

            Davey brought Jack a soda and they flopped down onto Davey’s old couch. Jack looked around and even though Davey’s things weren’t inside anymore, Jack could still see how this apartment fit Davey. It was nice. Jack and Davey sipped their drinks in silence for a while.

            “I’m going to miss this place,” Davey said as he looked around. He bumped into Jack with a smile. “I want to live with you and I’m looking forward to it, but I’ve been living here since I was a sophomore in college.”

            “I betcha you’ve got some stories,” Jack teased and he bumped Davey’s shoulder with his own. Davey flushed. “I was jokin’, but now I wanna know.”

            “I mean… I lost my virginity in this apartment,” Davey muttered.

            Jack looked at Davey with a grin. “Is that so?”

            “Can we not talk about it?” Davey asked.

            “Oh no, definitely not. We’s talkin’ ‘bout this,” Jack said and shifted so that he could see Davey.

            “Jack…” Davey whined.

            “C’mon, Davey. I’ll tell ya ‘bout how I lost mine if it’ll make you feel better,” Jack grinned. Davey shook his head.

            “Alright,” Davey pushed his hair from his face. “I was halfway through my sophomore year, there was I guy I really liked, I thought I was in love with him, and we’d been going out a while…” Davey’s face was turning red as he fiddled with his shirt. “One night we were hanging out- making out,” Davey corrected, “and I just felt like I was ready so I didn’t stop him when he started taking my clothes off.”

            “You lost your virginity on this couch?” Jack asked with a light laugh.

            “No, worse,” Davey said. “On the floor.”

            Jack covered his mouth to try and hide his grin, but Davey was smiling and rolling his eyes so Jack didn’t feel as bad. “That’s terrible.”

            “I know, I had wood burn on my back for a week and a half,” Davey touched his shoulder absently and Jack bit his lip. “What about you?”

            Jack shrugged casually. “I lost my virginity to Katherine when we’s was…” Jack paused to think, “seventeen I think. We’d been datin’ ‘bout a year, and as terrible as it sounds, it was after our senior prom.” Jack pulled a face. “It wasn’t in a car, Katherine wouldn’t’ve ever, but it was in my brother’s room at Mama’s house.”

            “Why in your brother’s room?” Davey asked.

            “We thought it was mine,” Jack shrugged. “But don’t tell Albert, he’d kill me if he ever found out.”

            Davey laughed and shook his head, but then he suddenly stopped. “Wait… you’re twenty-seven, and Benjy’s eight…”

            “Yup, I was nineteen when Benjy was born,” Jack admitted.

            “And twenty-one when the twins were born,” Davey said.

            Jack hummed. “Thank God I did tons of dual credit in high school. Knocked out most of my gen eds, so I just started doin’ my major work and finished up my doctorate about a year after the twins was born.”

            “That’s insane,” Davey shook his head.

            “I busted my ass and took a ton of credit hours all at once,” Jack snorted. “Probably why I lost my mind tryin’ to do it all.”

            “You’re really somethin’, you know that?” Davey asked and shifted so he could kiss Jack. Jack hummed as Davey shifted them both and pressed Jack into the couch cushions. Jack hummed against Davey’s mouth and pulled back.

            “Your bed still in your bedroom?” Jack asked, his breath fanning over Davey’s chin.

            “Yeah,” Davey said. They both looked at each other for a second before Davey was up and dragging Jack down the short hallway to get into Davey’s bedroom. Jack turned Davey back toward him and pulled him in by his beltloops to kiss him hard on the mouth.

            Jack backed Davey up until they could both fall into bed. Davey pulled back with a frustrated groan.

            “What?” Jack asked.

            “I already packed my condoms,” Davey said as he threw an arm over his eyes.

            “Guess we’s’ll just have to get creative,” Jack said. Jack shoved Davey’s shirt up and pulled Davey’s hips closer to the edge of the bed. Jack popped the button of Davey’s jeans and slipped them down to tangle around Davey’s knees. Jack knelt down and he pulled Davey’s jeans off completely. He pressed a kiss to the inside of Davey’s knee and then skimmed his lips over the skin on the inside of Davey’s thighs until his nose bumped against the leg of Davey’s boxer-briefs. Jack pulled back and he stood so that he could kiss Davey, his fingers skimming up under Davey’s shirt.

            Davey threaded his fingers into Jack’s hair and pushed his hips up, brushing against Jack’s thigh. He shuddered under Jack and broke their kiss to let out a shaky moan. Jack gently hitched his leg up and Davey shuddered again, his hips twitching reflexively.

            Jack shifted back and he pulled Davey so he was sitting up, straddling Jack’s lap. Jack pressed kisses to Davey’s collarbone and chest while he held onto Davey’s hips to steady him. Davey took a fistful of Jack’s shirt and tugged it off, mussing Jack’s hair. Davey cradled Jack’s face between his hands and kissed him again, pressing as close to Jack as he could. Jack shifted his hips up to meet Davey’s and he broke away from their kiss to huff out a harsh breath against Davey’s chest.

            “Jack,” Davey mumbled into Jack’s hair before he slipped his fingers into Jack’s hair and tugged to get Jack to tip his head back. Davey kissed him softly and Jack’s fingers dug into his skin.

            Jack gently tugged Davey’s boxer briefs down just enough so that he could get his hand inside. When Davey shuddered, Jack grinned and kiss Davey’s stomach.

…..

            Davey’s chest was still heaving even after Jack had stumbled and pulled his shirt and pants back on. “We gotta get back,” Jack said and leaned over to give Davey a swift kiss.

            “I’m not sure my legs will cooperate,” Davey said and pushed his damp curls away from his eyes.

            “Here,” Jack said and tossed Davey his clothes. Davey pulled his boxer-briefs on and groaned at the feeling of jelly-legs. “’M serious, Dave. Any minute I’m gonna be gettin’ a ca-” Jack made a face as his phone started ringing. Jack dug his phone out of his pocket and scowled at the caller ID: his home phone. He answered it. “I know-”

            “Where the hell are you?” Race demanded.

            “Me and Dave’re on the way back,” Jack said and made a face at Davey who was now getting up and pulling his clothes back on.

            “Hurry up,” Race muttered.

            “We’s comin’, Racer,” Jack said and hung up the phone. “We better get goin’. Racer ain’t happy.”

            “Alright,” Davey said. He glanced around one last time before he moved to take Jack’s hand in his.

            “Ready?” Jack asked.

            “Yeah,” Davey said and looked around.

            They drove back to Jack’s place and they carried boxes inside. Jack smiled sheepishly when Race glared at him.

            “You twos were supposed to be packin’,” Race said flatly.

            “We were,” Jack said.

            “You got sex hair, Jack. Nice try, but you ain’t slippin’ that shit past me,” Race muttered.

            Jack rolled his eyes. He moved to set Davey’s box down and then go to grab another couple. Spot came out to help them, and between him, Jack, and Davey they got the car unloaded pretty quickly.

…..

            “You should come help me,” Davey said and grinned. It was the night before the end of the year party. Jack and Davey had already gone and picked up everything that Davey had wanted, other than ice cream because they had decided that Davey would pick it up on the way in so it didn’t melt on the drive to school.

            “With what?” Jack asked.

            “With the party, Jackie,” Davey said. “Come on, you’ll get to spend time with Benjy and the twins, and it’s a party so it’s fun.”

            “I got stuff to do here, Davey. We’s still shiftin’ everythin’ aroun’ and-”

            “Jack,” Davey said seriously. “Please?” Davey asked quietly and Jack hated the way that Davey’s puppy-eyes had his resolve melting.

            “Alright fine,” Jack said.

            “I love you!” Davey grinned and pressed a smacking kiss to Jack’s cheek.

            “You better,” Jack muttered.

…..

            Jack was sitting on the edge of Davey’s desk as the kids went about doing the different activities that Davey had set up for them. Benjy was grinning and laughing as he flicked paint at one of his friends. The kids had had their lunches and either a cupcake or ice cream that Davey had gotten for them.

            Davey crossed over from where he’d been helping make a large paper chain, and he leaned against the desk next to where Jack was sitting. They let their hands brush, but casually and they made sure that they couldn’t be seen. There were not only the children in the room, but some other parents had volunteered to help.

            “Having fun, Jack?” Davey asked.

            “Yeah,” Jack said and gave Davey’s hand a squeeze. He pulled away and crossed his arms to keep from trying to reach for Davey.

            The school had decided on a half-day for the day before summer break and so soon enough all the kids were in Davey’s room as Davey and Jack started to clear up the odds and ends of Davey’s classroom.

            The twins were helping to box up Davey’s books that would be kept at the school over the break, while Benjy was wiping down tables. Jack was putting Davey’s stuff from his desk into a box.

            “You ready for the summer?” Jack asked.

            “I think so,” Davey said. “I’m ready to be able to have more free time with you guys.” Davey grinned and leaned over his desk to kiss Jack.

            “Well, well.” The two of them jerked apart and looked at the doorway to see Mr. Weisel standing in the doorway. “Am I interrupting?”

            “No sir,” Davey said and he stood up straight and faced his boss. Jack swallowed thickly and clenched his hands. “Is there something I can do something for you?”

            “I just wanted to check to see if you were clearing out your classroom alright, but I see you have help,” Wiesel said and he had a smug look and tone that grated on Jack’s nerves.

            “That I do,” Davey said calmly. “Was there anything else, sir?”

            “For now… no.” Wiesel said with a scowl.

            “Then,” Davey said, “have a nice summer. Come on, kids. We better get home.” Davey picked up the box on his desk full of his things and walked out, Jack and the kids following him.

            “It’s kinda hot when you do that,” Jack said and smiled.

            “Shut up, Jack,” Davey laughed.


	14. May 21st

-May 21st-

            Jack grinned as he left Davey in the kitchen, cooking the twins’ favorite breakfast. “I’m gonna go wake Benjy up and have ‘im get their presents.” Jack kissed Davey’s cheek.

            “Got it. I’ll hold down the fort,” Davey said.

            “You’s a gem.” Jack headed down the hall and sat on the edge of Benjy’s bed when he slipped inside. “Hey, B,” Jack said quietly and rubbed Benjy’s back. “C’mon. I need ya to get up.” Jack kissed Benjy’s temple.

            Benjy rolled over and rubbed his eyes. “Is it Birthday Day?”

            “Sure is. You wanna get the presents for your brother and sister?” Jack asked.

            “Yeah,” Benjy stretched and then climbed over Jack’s lap to run into Jack and Davey’s room to get the presents. Jack grinned and let Benjy pass him with the presents before he slipped into twins’ room. He moved over to Lilabet’s bed and kissed the back of her head. She snuffled a little and Jack just rubbed her back.

            “Lilabet, sweet pea, time to get up.” He kissed her again before he moved over to Atticus’s bed. “Bud, it’s time to wake up. C’mon.”

            Atticus turned over onto his back so he could blearily look at Jack. “Mornin’, Daddy,” Atticus said and pressed his face to Jack’s knee.

            “Mornin’, Atticus. We got pancakes and eggs in the kitchen waitin’ for ya.” Jack smoothed Atticus’s hair from his eyes.

            “’Cause it’s my birthday?”

            “’Cause it’s your birthday,” Jack confirmed. “Go on, Davey and Benjy are in the kitchen waitin’. I just gotta get your sister up.” Jack moved back to where Lilabet was still lying in bed. The girl slept like the dead. “C’mon, Lilabet. We got breakfast for you.” She grumbled as she rolled onto her side. She stuck her arms out and made silent grabby hands. Jack rolled his eyes but picked her up. “Alright, but just ‘cause it’s your birthday,” Jack said and kissed her temple.

            He could feel her sleepy smile against the collar of his t-shirt.

            “Let’s go Atticus,” Jack said and nodded. They all walked out together and Atticus’s eyes widened when he saw the table and everyone that was waiting. Not only were Davey and Benjy sitting there, Katherine, Sarah, Race, Spot, and Medda were around the table.

            Lilabet grinned so brightly that Jack’s heart felt like it could burst. Jack set her down when she started squirming. She ran over and rocked on her feet excitedly. “I didn’t know you all were coming for breakfast!”

            “Me neither!” Atticus said from where he was already plastered to Race’s side.

            “That’s why it’s called a surprise, Squirt,” Spot laughed and ruffled Atticus’s hair.

            “And we wouldn’t want to miss any of your birthday,” Sarah said and grinned at them brightly.

            “C’mon, let’s eat before all this gets cold,” Jack said and nodded. They all settled around the slightly cramped table, but there was nothing but laughter and jokes between them.

            “How you feelin’?” Jack asked Race quietly.

            “Better,” Race said. “I’m not throwin’ up all the time no more so that’s nice.”

            “I bet,” Jack said.

            “What’s with the whisper corner over there?” Sarah asked.

            “Nothin’,” Jack and Race said in unison.

            “If that ain’t a lie,” Spot muttered.

…..

            “Can we open our presents now, Daddy?” Atticus and looked at Jack with puppy-eyes.

            “You can open the one from me and Davey, but everyone else’s has gotta wait until everybody else gets here,” Jack said. “Promise?”

            “Promise!” Atticus said and he dashed over to the table so he could grab up the box with his name on it in Jack’s scribble.

            “C’mere, Lilabet, you can open up me and Davey’s present,” Jack said. Jack moved to where the adults were talking in the living room. “Guys, the twins’re gonna open up one present real quick.”

            They all piled back into the dining room so that Atticus and Lilabet could open up their gifts. They both ripped the paper off the boxes and Lilabet let out an excited squeal as she opened one of the squishy toys she’d been wanting.

            Atticus blinked at the case in his hands. “Go on, Bud. Open it up,” Jack said and nodded to the case. Atticus nodded and he opened it up. He grinned brightly before he pulled out what was inside. Atticus was cradling glasses in his hands, but specifically Oliver People’s Gregory Peck Collection. They were black frames that were replicas of Atticus Finch’s from the movie. Atticus put them on his face and grinned at everyone.

            “Are those…?” Sarah asked, laughing.

            “They are,” Davey grinned. “Atticus loves the movie so much I thought he might enjoy them.”

            “I love them, Davey!” Atticus said and launched himself at Davey’s legs and hugged him tightly. “Thank you.”

            “Of course kiddo,” Davey said and combed Atticus’s hair.

            “You look like Atticus, Atticus,” Benjy said and moved to look at Atticus’s face, framed completely different with the glasses.

            “Good!” Atticus said and straightened up.

            “Come here and let me look at you, Tater Tot,” Katherine said and knelt down so that when Atticus came over she was at his eye level. “They suit you.” Atticus grinned proudly and Katherine pressed a kiss to his cheek.

            Jack grinned and then moved to the kitchen so he could finish getting ready for when the rest of his family got there and the party really started. He pulled out carrots to slice and put out. He hardly noticed Katherine had followed him in until she spoke. “Hey.”

            “Hey,” Jack said without looking up.

            “Just wanted to tell you that JJ might pop in for a bit, but uh…” Katherine bit her lip and fiddled with the way that the carrots were sitting on the plate. “Mama and Papa wanted to come.”

            Jack’s knife slipped and he cut the tip of his finger. He immediately shoved it into his mouth both to try and stop the bleeding and to help him keep his mouth shut.

            “I know,” Katherine said, “but I’ll keep an eye on them. They won’t get out of control.”

            “They better not, Katherine,” Jack said seriously around the finger in his mouth.

            “Who better not what?” Davey asked as he carried in an armful of wrapping paper to throw away. “And why do you have your finger in your mouth?”

            “I just nicked my finger ‘s all,” Jack said and pulled his finger out of his mouth to look at it. It was still bleeding and he scowled.

            “So you shoved it in your mouth?” Davey asked, throwing the paper in the bin and wrinkling up his nose. “Do you know how many germs there are from other things you’ve put in your mouth, Jackie?”

            “Well…” Jack started with a grin. Davey’s face turned red and Katherine snorted.

            “Just rinse it with cold water like a normal person. I’ll get you a band-aid,” Davey said and swatted Jack’s side.

            “Jackie?” Katherine asked with a grin as Jack turned on the tap. Jack’s ears burned.

            “Shuddup.”

            “No, it’s cute,” Katherine teased and poked at Jack’s sides. Jack swatted at her with his good hand.

            “Shuddup, Kath. I don’t bring up you and Sarah’s pet names for each other.”

            “That’s because you know I’d destroy you,” Katherine said brightly.

            “You’re scary when you wanna be.”

            “Damn right.”

…..

            All of Jack’s siblings were there and Smalls had brought a sprinkler for the kids to play in. It honestly was probably too cold, but Benjy, Lilabet, and Atticus had begged, and Jack had easily caved. He took Atticus’s new glasses from him and set them on the counter so they wouldn’t get broken.

            Jack moved things outside so the adults could sit in the sunshine and talk while they kept an eye on the kids as they ran through the wet grass, squealing at the cold water on their skin.

            Jack grinned as he looked at Davey smiling and laughing at something that Crutchie had said. It made his stomach feel all warm and fluffy.

            “Hey, you,” Sarah said and bumped their hips.

            “Hey yourself,” Jack said and grinned at her.

            “You two are really good together, you know that?” Sarah asked quietly. “I haven’t seen anyone make David smile as much as you do.”

            “I love him,” Jack said easily. He’d thought it’d be weird to be telling his ex’s wife that he was in love with her brother, but it was just another quirk of Jack’s strange but wonderful life.

            “I know I don’t have to give you the shovel talk,” Sarah laughed, “but it _is_ a perk of having a twin brother,” she teased.

            “If I hurt ‘im, I’ll give ya a free swing,” Jack said.

            “I’ll hold you to that,” Sarah said seriously.

            “Feel free to.” Jack heard the doorbell and he let Katherine, who was already sprinting towards the door, get it. He took a deep breath and set his shoulders, ready to step in at any time if he needed to.

            “Relax, Papa Bear,” Sarah said and set a hand between Jack’s shoulderblades and rubbed soothingly.

            “I’ll relax when they’s gone,” Jack muttered.

            “Everything alright?” Davey asked and walked over to where Jack and Sarah were standing.

            “Katherine’s parents are coming in,” Sarah said. “Brace yourself, baby brother. This could get ugly.” Sarah patted Davey’s shoulder before she walked away to go and get something to drink.

            “Jack?” Davey asked.

            “Don’t worry ‘bout it, Davey. It’s… it’s just complicated,” Jack said and slipped his hand into Davey’s, getting a gentle squeeze in return.

            “We’re not going to let anything happen. Promise.” Davey lifted Jack’s hand up and kissed the back of it. That was the moment that a harried looking Katherine and her parents walked into the backyard. Jack put an arm around Davey’s waist and pulled him in so they were pressed hip to hip as the Pulitzers looked over at them.

            “James!” Katherine’s mother, also named Katherine but mostly referred to as Mrs. Pulitzer, said as she spotted him. “It’s been far too long.” She was smiling but Jack could see the way she’d sized Davey up.

            “Jack, please, Mrs. Pulitzer,” Jack said with a strained smile.

            “James is a perfectly lovely name, Jack is so common,” Mrs. Pulitzer wrinkled her nose at him and Jack felt Davey tensing. Mrs. Pulitzer turned her smile to Davey. “And you must be Jack’s new partner. We haven’t been introduced.”

            “Yes, I’m Jack’s partner, _David_ Jacobs, ma’am,” Davey said. Jack could tell by the way his eyes were hard, even though he was smiling politely, that the way he’d pronounced his name had been intentional.

            “Oh, that’s a… beautiful name,” Mrs. Pulitzer said.

            “It’s Hebrew,” Davey said. Thankfully the awkward conversation was cut off when Lilabet ran up and threw herself at Davey’s legs, drenching his jeans.

            “Davey,” Lilabet said breathlessly, “you gotta-” Lilabet cut herself off and blinked as she looked between her grandmother and Davey. “Did I interrupt?” She asked guiltily.

            “Not at all, sweetheart,” Davey said.

            “Well then, you gotta come see what Uncle Spot’s doing!” She grinned and tugged excitedly on Davey’s hand.

            “Alright, I’m coming.” Davey said and gave her little hand a squeeze. “Excuse me, ma’am,” Davey said to Mrs. Pulitzer before he walked off. Jack wanted to kiss him so badly for leaving that dumbstruck look on the woman’s face.

            “I’ll be right back too, ma’am,” Jack said and went inside to go and get the kids some towels so that they could do cake and presents now that everyone was there. Jack took a steeling breath before he reentered the backyard. He could have cried in relief to see Miss Medda occupying Mrs. Pulitzer, and Katherine talking to her father. Jack quickly got the kids dried off and into dry clothes.

            Benjy hung back and Jack was surprised to see his son glaring daggers at his grandfather. Jack gently took him aside, giving Davey a look that said to keep on going without them, and squatted down. “Hey, B,” Jack said quietly, holding Benjy’s hands in his. “What’s up?”

            “Nothing,” Benjy grumbled.

            “C’mon, tell me what’s botherin’ you,” Jack said.

            Benjy glared over Jack’s shoulder and Jack turned his head to see Mr. Pulitzer talking to Miss Medda, Spot, and Smalls. Spot looked furious, Smalls nearly vibrating with irritation, but Miss Medda looked as calm and collected as ever.

            “Is it your grampa?” Jack asked quietly. Benjy just nodded.

            “He hurt Atticus, but now he’s here and acting like it didn’t happen,” Benjy hissed, tears in his eyes.

            “Hey,” Jack said quietly and tilted Benjy’s chin up so they were looking each other in the eye. “Me and Davey and your Mama and Ima Sarah ain’t gonna let ‘im do nothin’ to upset your brother. Not on his birthday. Just let us worry ‘bout that, you have fun. Alright?” Jack asked and Benjy swallowed thickly before he nodded. “C’mon, you better go get your Uncle Spot before he blows his cool,” Jack said and kissed Benjy’s head.

            Davey had gotten everyone around the table. Lilabet and Atticus were sharing a chair at the head of the table. Race, Spot, and Crutchie were on Atticus’s side while Smalls, Jojo and Albert were on Lilabet’s side. Katherine and Sarah were sitting on a nearby bench, Davey at the end of the table, holding Race’s camera so he could take pictures, while Jack, Miss Medda, and the Pulitzers were standing. Jack ducked into the kitchen to grab the _How To Train Your Dragon_ cake that they’d gotten. Jack had put two number six’s on the cake so there’d be no fighting over who had blown out more candles.

            Cake and presents went really well, though there had been a moment where Katherine had literally stomped on her father’s toe with a sweet smile on her face, but once the kids had gone to play with their new board game from Uncle Albert things started to go downhill.

            It started with Race getting a little dizzy and Spot gently moving to have him sit. “’m fine,” Race insisted, his ears turning red from embarrassment.

            “Just siddown and shuddup,” Spot said. “Mama, can you get him a glass of water?”

            “Spot,” Race said quietly but one look from Spot had him closing his mouth.

            “Doctor knows best,” Jack said to Race.

            “He’s only a nurse,” Race muttered and plucked at his loose t-shirt.

            “Anthony, gimme a break, please,” Spot said tiredly. Spot and Race only ever called each other by their actual names when it was important. Race nodded and kept his mouth shut and drank the water Medda gave him.

            “Is he alright?” Mrs. Pulitzer asked Katherine not-so-quietly.

            “He’ll be fine in a second,” Jack said and forced a smile.

            Spot was doing a quick once-over on Race and they all froze when they heard a scoff. A very familiar scoff. Jack felt like cursing when Spot’s shoulders tensed up. Katherine’s father was rolling his eyes.

            “Have we got a problem, Mr. Pulitzer?” Spot asked shortly.

            “It was a dizzy spell is all, it’s not that serious,” Pulitzer said and Jack opened his mouth to defuse the situation, but Spot was already jumping in.

            “It ain’t just a dizzy spell when you got a transguy off his T and three months pregnant!” Spot snapped. Jack closed his eyes and sighed heavily. “Dizzy spells could be a symptom of somethin’ else and as not only his husband, but a _nurse_ , I’m gonna check ‘im over. If that’s alright by you!”

            “Spot,” Davey said quietly and moved to standing between Spot and Katherine’s father. “Check on Race and just leave it, alright? Race is priority one.”

            Spot looked at Davey and Jack was thankful that Spot seemed to calm down a little. He went back to Race and the two of them started talking to each other in rapid-fire Italian.

            “Mama, Papa, I think it’s time for you to leave,” Katherine said quietly.

            “Kathy, darling, I don’t understand,” Mrs. Pulitzer said.

            “Of course you don’t,” Katherine said hotly. “But I won’t embarrass Jack, Davey and the children by explaining it here.” Katherine stood from her seat next to a shocked Sarah. “Let me walk you out.”

            Katherine practically shoved her parents toward the door and the entirety of the backyard was silent in shock.

…..

            Katherine didn’t seem inclined to speak when she got back and no one wanted to push her, especially when she swiped at her eyes. Jack was cleaning up, everyone except Spot, Race, Sarah and Katherine having already gone, when Davey came over to him.

            “She gonna be okay?” Davey asked quietly.

            “I dunno. She’s never really done that with her parents before.” Jack shrugged. “I mean, she’s backed me up when I lost my shit, but…”

            Davey hummed his understanding. “You think she’d bite my head off if I tried to talk to her?”

            “Maybe let me first,” Jack said and leaned over to kiss Davey’s cheek. “Can you get the kiddos all ready for bed?”

            “Of course, stick me with the hard job,” Davey teased.

            “They like you more than me, it’ll be easy,” Jack joked back. Davey rolled his eyes but went inside and started rounding the kids up. Jack made his way to where Katherine was sitting with her head on Sarah’s shoulder. “Mind if I cut it?” Jack asked.

            “Go ahead,” Sarah said and let Katherine lift her head before she got up from the bench.

            When Jack sat down, Katherine put her head on his shoulder. “You alright?” Jack asked.

            “I’m embarrassed,” Katherine admitted. “I just… they’d been making Spot and your other siblings mad all afternoon and I just… I didn’t want to deal with them anymore.” Katherine picked at a thread on her sweater. “I told them I was done.”

            “What’s that supposed to mean?” Jack asked.

            “I’m tired, Jack. They only speak to Sarah when it would been seen as rude not to, they disrespect you and your family, and they just… they’re so stuck-up and I don’t want that around the kids. They’re just… they’re surrounded by such goodness with your family that I don’t want my family to fuck it all up.”

            “I’m so sorry, Kath,” Jack said quietly. “Really, I am.”

            “I know you are.”

            “You wanna take home some leftover ice cream, I hear girls like that shit,” Jack joked. Katherine punched him in the ribs but she was laughing to Jack took it as a win.

…..

            Jack made sure everyone was off safely and that all the trash was picked up before he headed upstairs to tell the kids goodnight. Benjy was already tucked in and half asleep so Jack just kissed his head and fixed his blankets quietly.

            Davey was in the twins’ room reading them a story. He was sitting on the edge of Lilabet’s bed. Lilabet was asleep on his shoulder, and Atticus was fighting sleep to hear the end of the book.

            Jack wished he had Race’s camera right now.

            Jack could easily see Davey, so gentle and soft in moments like these, with a baby in his arms. Jack wasn’t even surprised that he found himself thinking about it. Davey said he’d wanted to have a baby, and Jack, somewhere in the back of his mind, had been thinking about it too. He’d want them to talk to his kids first, but if they said what Jack was sure they’d say, he was ready if Davey was.

            “The end,” Davey said softly and closed the book. He was careful not to jostle Lilabet too much as he laid her down and tucked her in. Jack gave them both kisses before he and Davey headed to their bedroom.

            “You’re really good wit’ ‘em, Dave,” Jack said as he pulled his t-shirt off.

            “I’ve got lots of practice,” Davey joked.

            Jack bit his lip and debated with himself. “Hey… uh, Davey,” Jack started.

            “Yeah?”

            “You know how we said after the weddin’ we should talk about what you said before?” Jack asked, his stomach flipping with nerves.

            “Yeah?” Davey asked a little warily.

            “I think I’s ready to talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Long time no update. I'm really sorry. Everything's been crazy with school and I've been having tons of mental breakdowns but everything's fine!!! I'm just glad to get back to this and release some of my tension. And thanks to the anon that came onto my tumblr and gave me the boost I needed to finish up this chapter. You're an angel anon :)


	15. Chapter 15

            Jack chewed his lip and bounced his knee nervously. He and Davey had decided to table the talk for in the morning, and they’d gotten Katherine and Sarah to watch the kids so they could go out and talk.

            Jack picked at some paint that was stuck to the corner of his thumbnail.

            He wanted to talk about this, and he thought he was ready, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still nervous about all of it.

            “Relax,” Davey said and pressed a kiss to the top of Jack’s head before he set down the cups of coffee and settled into a chair across from Jack’s.

            “Easier said than done,” Jack said and grabbed his coffee to take a sip.

            “If you’re not ready, Jack-” Davey started but Jack cut him off.

            “No, I’s ready, but… I don’t wanna say anythin’ stupid,” Jack admitted.

            “Nothing you say is stupid, Jack. We might disagree, but that’s okay. We’ll work on it,” Davey said and hooked his ankle around Jack’s under the table.

            “Alright,” Jack said and he rubbed his hands on his pants. “So where do we start?” Jack asked, smiling weakly at Davey.

            “Well…” Davey said, now starting to look a little like how Jack felt. “Let’s start big since it’s the only thing I know we need to talk about.” Davey pushed his hair from his eyes and bit his lip.

            “Do you still wanna have a baby, Davey?” Jack asked bluntly. He had to do it quick, like ripping off a band-aid.

            Davey nodded. “Yeah, Jack. I do.”

Jack nodded and he picked at his nails again.

            Davey took a deep breath before he continued. “I know it’s probably insane with you already having three kids in the house, and with both of our jobs… but I’ve always wanted to have kids. And… honestly, it’s so easy to see myself doing it with you.” Davey smiled at Jack and just shrugged.

            “It _would_ be a lot,” Jack admitted. He really had to take a moment to think of how to work what he wanted to say next. “But… I would do it if I had you, Dave.”

            Davey blinked at Jack. Then a smile grew on his face. “Really?” Davey asked.

            “Yeah,” Jack laughed. “Yeah, I would, but I got some conditions.”

            Davey nodded seriously. “Of course.”

            “The kids’ve gotta be okay wit’ it,” Jack said. “We gotta talk to ‘em together and see if they’d be alright with another lil’ ‘un in the house.”

            “I wouldn’t dream of trying to have a baby in the house without the kids being alright with it.” Davey nodded. “Do you think they’ll say now?” Davey looked a little more nervous now and he fiddled with the lid on his coffee cup.

            “I wouldn’t think so, but I dunno, Davey. I never thought of havin’ another baby in the house.” Jack shrugged.

            “Okay,” Davey said and he nodded, obviously in thought.

            “What’re you thinkin’, Dave?” Jack asked and bumped Davey’s ankle. “We’s talkin’ ‘bout everythin’.”

            “I was just thinking about how to go about it,” Davey said.

            “A surrogate would probably be the best way if you want a baby that’s yours,” Jack said.

            “Well…” Davey took a breath. “I’d actually talked about this before…”

            “Yeah?” Jack asked and furrowed his brow.

            “Well, because Sarah and I are twins, obviously not identical but you know what I mean, she offered that if I ever wanted to have a baby with my partner, she’d be a surrogate. Not with my sperm obviously!” Davey flushed, especially when some people around them glanced at him.

            “Davey, I figured that’s what ya meant,” Jack said and snorted as Davey slumped in his chair.

            “I think it’d be a nice compromise,” Davey said. “They’ll be related to Atticus, Lilabet, and Benjy, and they’ll have some of my genes.”

            Jack scratched the back of his head. “I dunno how I feel ‘bout that Davey. Do you really want me to knock up your sister, who by the way is my ex’s wife in case ya forgot.”

            “Can we at least talk to Sarah about it?” Davey asked.

            Jack chewed his lip and then nodded. It was a nice compromise since obviously the two of them couldn’t have a baby biologically. But he obviously wasn’t sure whether or not Katherine would be alright with it, and nor did Jack blame her if she wasn’t.

…..

            “Have you got a minute, Sarah?” Davey asked when they got home. Jack’s stomach dropped out of his feet, he hadn’t thought Davey meant when they got home. Jack needed time to plan what he wanted to say, to know what Davey was going to say.

            “Sure,” Sarah said brightly and Davey walked them out onto the back patio. Jack felt like he was going to throw up. “What’s up, David?”

            “Well…” Davey said, “You know how you talked about being a surrogate for me?”

            “Yeah, I remember,” Sarah said and there was a light in her eyes.

            “Me and Jack were thinking about having a baby and we wanted to ask you if you still were alright with doing it,” Davey said.

            “I’ll have to talk to Katherine,” Sarah said and tapped her brightly colored wedding ring.

            “Yeah, of course,” Jack said and nodded.

            Davey gave Jack a look but Jack just gave him one back. Sarah noticed the tension between them and she pointed over her shoulder. “I’ll just…”

            “Thanks,” Jack said and pinched the bridge of his nose.

            “What?” Davey asked once Sarah had left the room.

            “Davey, when I said we could talk to her, I didn’t the second we got in the door,” Jack said and lifted his head to give Davey a look. “I just… Let’s just take this down a notch, alright? I know you’s excited, but let’s take time to think about everythin’ before we jump in head first.”

            Davey nodded. “Yeah, you’re right, of course. I’m sorry, Jack.”

            “There ain’t nothin’ to be sorry about,” Jack grinned. “As long as you slow down and gimme time to adjust to everythin’ as it comes.”

            “Deal,” Davey said and kissed Jack chastely. “And I am sorry. I’m just excited.”

            “I know,” Jack said and gave Davey’s hand a squeeze. Jack looked over as he heard the kids running around. They both heard a crash and winced. “You sure you want another one runnin’ ‘round?”

            “Pretty sure,” Davey said and they both laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short update just for Davey and Jack's little chat. More to come shortly! Thanks for putting up with my crazy schedule! :)  
> -James


	16. Chapter 16

            “Hey kiddos! Come downstairs, me and Davey’ve gotta talk to ya!!” Jack shouted up the stairs. Jack’s hands itched and he felt shaky with nerves. They’d decided that before they continued talking with Sarah about surrogacy that they really needed to talk to the kids and see what they thought about it.

            Jack sat down at the table where Davey was already sitting with a cup of tea. “Ready, Jackie?” Davey asked, looking as nervous as Jack felt.

            “As I’ll ever be,” Jack mumbled and sat down.

            “We can wait,” Davey said. “No rush.”

            “I can do it,” Jack said determinedly. Benjy and Atticus walked in and sat down, then Lilabet came in and she sat as well.

            “What’s wrong?” Atticus asked and frowned as he looked between Jack and Davey. “Did we do something wrong?”

            “No, Atticus, you didn’t do anything,” Davey assured.

            “Then what is it?” Benjy asked seriously, a furrow between his brows.

            “We just wanted to talk to yous,” Jack said. “What would yous think if we had a baby in the house?” Jack asked.

            “You mean like babysitting Uncle Race and Uncle Spot’s baby?” Lilabet asked.

            “Not quite,” Davey said. “We would definitely babysit if your uncles asked but that’s not what we were talking about.”

            “We were talkin’ about havin’ a baby,” Jack said. “Me and Davey’s baby, so a little brother or sister.”

            Lilabet and Atticus’s eyes got wide. “A baby brother or sister for _us_?”

            “Yeah,” Jack said.

            “But only if it’s okay with you all,” Davey said.

            The kids all looked at each other in some sort of silent conversation. Lilabet and Atticus both smiled hugely. “Yeah!” They both said in unison, bouncing in their chairs.

            “Benjy?” Davey asked. “You’ve been awfully quiet.”

            Benjy shrugged. “I guess a baby wouldn’t be too bad,” Benjy said and frowned a little. “But just _one_ this time?” Benjy asked. Jack couldn’t help but let out a short bark of laughter. He was sure that Benjy was remembering late nights with the twins and how Jack and Spot had both been up pretty late into the night rocking the twins as they cried.

            “Yes, Benjy,” Jack nodded. “Just one this time.”

…..

            “Are you out of your mind?!” Katherine asked, storming into Jack’s office. He’d headed in to get a head start on his paperwork for his new students.

            “Jury’s out,” Jack said. “What’re we talkin’ ‘bout this time, Kath?”

            “You want Sarah to have your baby?” Katherine asked, obviously seething.

            “In my defense, that wasn’t my idea. That’s between Davey and Sarah.”

            “James Sawyer Kelly don’t you _dare_ try to act like this is okay!” Katherine pushed her hair away from her eyes furiously.

            “Katherine,” Jack said calmly and stood. “Do you really think that I don’t have reservations about havin’ a baby with my current partner’s _sister_ that happens to be my ex’s _wife_?” Jack asked. “It wasn’t exactly my first thought when Davey and I started talkin’ ‘bout havin’ a baby.” Jack pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to fend off a headache. “Listen, Kath,” Jack sighed, “I get that it ain’t ideal. But since when has anythin’ in our lives been less than insane?”

            “This is completely different!” Katherine snapped. “This isn’t just strange or out-of-the-norm, this is inappropriate!”

            Jack grit his teeth. “We aren’t havin’ this conversation where I work, Katherine,” Jack said. “If you wanna argue about this and shout at me, it’ll have to be later. I’s busy so..” Jack nodded to where the door of his office was still open. Katherine looked offended for a moment, then she looked a little impressed and nodded.

            “Alright, but we’re going to talk about this,” Katherine said sternly.

            “Yup,” Jack said and scrawled his signature on a piece of paperwork. She nodded resolutely and walked out.

            “Good God, Jack. I could hear ‘er yellin’ from the studio upstairs,” Race said as he walked in.

            Jack groaned and slumped into his chair. “Racer, gimme a break…”

            “No judgement,” Race said and sat down in the chair across from Jack. “You alright?”

            “Can you keep somethin’ quiet?” Jack asked and Race nodded, leaning back to close Jack’s office door. “Davey and I’re thinkin’ ‘bout havin’ a baby.”

            Race blinked in shock and then whistled. “That’s a lot, Cowboy.”

            “I know,” Jack said and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Especially since Davey wants Sarah to be our surrogate.”

            Race winced in sympathy. “I can see where that might make Katherine real mad.” Jack hummed. “But… if that’s what you two really want, and if Sarah’s alright wit’ it, then I think that’s what yous should do.”

            “Really?” Jack asked.

            “Havin’ a baby, even someone else’s baby, is a personal decision, if Sarah says yes, it ain’t Katherine’s place to tell her she can’t,” Race said fiercely.

            “They’s married, Racer. I don’t wanna mess with their marriage,” Jack said and shrugged. “Besides, I ain’t sure I’m sold on the idea of knockin’ up my partner’s sister.”

            “Well it’s not like you’re doin’ it the old-fashioned way,” Race said seriously.

            “I know but… still,” Jack said and squirmed. “The thought of it is kinda weird ain’t it?”

            Race shrugged. “I dunno, but if you really don’t wanna use Sarah, then you need to tell Davey that now, not later.”

            Jack nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, I guess.”

…..

            Davey was humming to himself as Jack walked in the door. He dropped his bag and headed into the kitchen where Davey was fixing dinner for the kids. Jack wrapped his arms around Davey’s waist and buried his face in Davey’s back.

            “Hey,” Davey said and bumped Jack gently with his elbow.

            “Hey,” Jack grumbled.

            “Bad day?” Davey asked and turned in Jack’s grip so that he could gently run his fingers through Jack’s hair.

            “Yeah,” Jack said and buried his face in Davey’s neck. “Katherine came in to yell at me.”

            “What?” Davey snapped. “Why?”

            “Davey, don’t get upset, please,” Jack mumbled and pressed a kiss to Davey’s neck before pulling back tiredly. “It’s about usin’ Sarah as our surrogate.”

            Davey took a breath and nodded.

            “It’s not a big deal for now,” Jack said and slumped into Davey.

            “For now,” Davey said and kissed Jack’s temple. “Go on and sit for a while. The kids are occupied and everything’s done. So relax.” Davey kissed him quickly before gently shoving Jack toward the living room.

            Jack sat and as soon as he did he heard small footsteps coming his way. He smiled as Lilabet climbed over the back of the couch and slid down so she was sitting next to him. “When will the baby get here?” Lilabet asked, flopping down so her head was on Jack’s thigh.

            “We don’t know, yet, sweetpea,” Jack said and combed his fingers through Lilabet’s tangled hair.

            She hummed. “Will it get here before or after Uncle Race’s baby?”

            “After,” Jack said.

            “But I thought you said you don’t know,” Lilabet pointed out.

            “I don’t know exactly, but I do know it’ll be after Uncle Race’s baby.”

            “How do you know?” Lilabet asked. Jack looked down at her and frowned a little. He really didn’t want to have to explain where babies came from to his six year old.

            “Because babies take a long time to get wherever they’re goin’,” Jack said/

            “Oh,” Lilabet said and thankfully let the subject drop. “When will Uncle Race’s baby get here?”

            “Not until after yous’re all back in school,” Jack said.

            “That’s so _long_!” Lilabet complained. “And if I’m in school then I won’t get to play with the baby!”

            “You don’t really play with little babies anyway,” Jack said. “Babies mostly sleep, just so you know. So when summer comes around again you’ll be able to play with the baby anytime that’s okay with Uncle Race and Uncle Spot.”

            Lilabet nodded approvingly. “Good.” She grinned and then she looked as if she remembered something and took off to head back upstairs. Jack sank down and rubbed at his aching eyes.

…..

            Davey smoothed out his shirt. “How do I look?” Davey asked.

            “Like if you weren’t headin’ out, I’d hafta drag ya back into bed,” Jack grinned from where he was still lying in bed.

            Davey flushed and shook his head. “Seriously, though.”

            “I am bein’ serious,” Jack said. Davey shot him a look. “Alright, alright. You look professional.”

            “Good,” Davey said and fixed his collar again.

            “Where ya headed?” Jack asked and smoothed a hand through his hair.

            “Just a meeting,” Davey said and moved to kneel on the bed to kiss Jack. “See you in an hour or two.”

            Jack smiled as the kiss, still a little sleep hazy. “See ya when ya get back, Dave.”

            Davey hummed and kissed Jack again, letting this one linger a little. Jack lifted his hand so he could fiddle with Davey’s collar and then smooth down the short hairs at the nape of Davey’s neck.

            “You could stay,” Jack suggested.

            “It’s an important meeting,” Davey said and kissed Jack’s chin. “I’ll be back soon.” He pulled back and Jack dropped his hands so Davey could go. He sighed contentedly and stretched his arms over his head.

            Jack was skimming through some pamphlets that Davey had gotten for him, when he heard the kids coming. He hastily shoved the pamphlet into his nightstand before Benjy and Lilabet were scrambling up onto the empty side of the bed.

            “Hey,” Jack said as Benjy flopped over Jack’s chest.

            “Morning, Daddy. Where’s Davey going?” Benjy asked.

            “He has an early meeting,” Jack explained and smoothed Benjy’s hair down. “He’ll be back soon though.”

            “Good,” Lilabet said and moved to stretch out over Benjy’s back.

            “Atticus still sleeping?” Jack asked.

            “He sleeps like a rock,” Benjy said flatly.

            “That he does,” Jack laughed and gently dumped the kids off of him. “Let’s go and make breakfast, and then I’ll get ‘im up.”

            Jack had the kids fed and they were playing outside when Davey came back. He looked upset and deep in thought. “Hey, Dave. Everythin’ go alright?”

            “Not really, no,” Davey said and pushed his curls from his eyes.

            “What’s wrong?” Jack asked.

            “Well…” Davey said and he chewed his lip. “My meeting wasn’t related to work… I was meeting with Sarah and Katherine.”

            “Davey!” Jack said and frowned.

            “Just hear me out,” Davey said and he nodded toward their bedroom. Jack made sure the kids were alright before he followed. Davey was stripping out of his nice clothes as he spoke. “I wanted to see if it was a problem with me or a problem with you.”

            “And?” Jack asked.

            “It’s complicated, babe,” Davey said and shook his head.

            “Simplify it,” Jack said.

            “Katherine thinks we’re trying to upset her,” Davey said as he shimmied into his jeans. He buttoned them and shrugged. “She said we’re doing it on purpose.”

            “That’s ridiculous,” Jack said.

            “I know that,” Davey said and moved to grab up a t-shirt. “So I explained to her why I suggested Sarah. She still seemed upset but Sarah cut in and said she wanted to do it. They decided they’d talk about it, but Sarah seemed determined. And I know my sister, Jack, if she thinks it’s the right thing, she’s going to do it.”

            “I want Katherine to be alright with it before we do anythin’,” Jack said. “If it comes down to it we could get someone else.”

            Davey looked at Jack for a long moment. “Do you not want to do this, Jack?”

            Jack felt his heart pounding against his ribs. “Davey-”

            “I’m serious, Jack. I don’t want to push you to do something you don’t want to do just because you think it’ll make me happy.” Davey pulled his shirt on and shook his head. “I thought we said we were going to be honest with each other.”

            “Alright!” Jack snapped and took a breath. “Honestly, it freaks me out to think about havin’ a baby with your sister. I understand _why_ this is what you want but I’ve known Sarah for a while now and it’s just… it’s a lot, alright? To know that I’m gonna have brought another baby into this screwed up mess and tangled them up into all of this!” Jack felt a lump forming in his throat. “The last time I had kids I messed things up for them, I don’t wanna do it again, Davey.”

            “You don’t want to have a baby with me?” Davey asked quietly.

            “No, I do,” Jack said and he moved to cradle Davey’s face between his hands. “I really do, I just… I wish it wasn’t so damn complicated.”

            Davey nodded. “Okay.”

            “Okay?” Jack asked and Davey nodded silently.

            “Do you want me to call Sarah and ask her to drop it?” Davey asked.

            Jack took a moment and then he shook his head. “No.” Jack took a breath and smiled at Davey. “This is important to you, and it’s important to me that you’s happy. Alright? It may be weird, but it ain’t really any weirder than anythin’ else in this screwed up family.”

            Davey laughed and he pressed his forehead to Jack’s. “We’re really doing this.”

            “Yeah, we really are,” Jack said and kissed Davey softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there's that mostly settled. Y'all'll just have to wait and see what Sarah and Katherine say! ;) Until next time.  
> -James


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up for some sexy stuff

            Jack stretched up and taped the poster where Davey had pointed out. The school year was going to start soon, Jack couldn’t believe the summer had flown by so fast, and Jack and the kids were helping Davey set up his classroom again.

            “Looks good,” Davey said and laughed.

            “Am I doing good?” Atticus asked where he was organizing books.

            “Incredible,” Davey said and moved to sweep Atticus up, tickling his stomach. Davey settled Atticus down after a moment and pressed an absent kiss to the top of his head. Jack smiled at the small exchange before he turned to see Sarah standing in Davey’s doorway.

            “You guys want to get lunch?” Sarah asked. “On me.”

            Davey seemed to hesitate but after a moment he smiled. “Yeah. Let us just finish up the last little thing.” Jack and Davey quickly finished up with the posters they’d already laid out before he got the kids ready to head out to the car.

            They drove to a nearby place that they could all agree on. Jack settled the kids with their sandwiches before he, Davey and Sarah sat at the next table over, making sure to keep an eye on the kids.

            “So, how’re things going with the new classroom?” Sarah asked.

            “Fine,” Davey said and pushed his salad around with his fork.

            “I wanted to talk to the two of you, obviously,” Sarah said and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Uh, so Kath and I talked…” Jack felt Davey tense up and Jack just nodded at Sarah encouragingly. “I’m going to do it for you. I want to.”

            Jack frowned at the way Sarah was pointedly not telling them what Katherine thought. “And what about Katherine?”

            “Well,” Sarah said and poked her food around her plate. “She still thinks it’s a bad idea, but it’s my decision ultimately.”

            “Sarah-” Jack started but Sarah shook her head, holding her hand up.

            “Jack, please. I get that Katherine is mad at you all, but she doesn’t understand.” Sarah shifted to cover Jack’s hand with hers. “If you two still aren’t sure, that’s alright. I’ll understand.”

            “That’s not what it is,” Jack said, and he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I just don’t want this to drive a wedge between you and Sarah. I don’t wanna make this a big deal.”

            “Katherine doesn’t understand why you want this, and she especially doesn’t understand why _I_ want to do this,” Sarah said. She shifted and lowered her voice so that the boys would be the only ones to hear her. “Katherine, as much as she loves the children now, was never cut out to be a parent. She never wanted it. But you both do, so badly, and you want to do it together with a baby that you can both have a part of. And I want to help the two of you be a part of that. I want to help you because David is my brother, and Jack, you’re my friend, and I want to experience being pregnant even if it’s not for a baby that will be mine.”

            Jack nodded, and he bit his lip. “Thank you, Sarah.”

            “Of course, Jack,” Sarah said and leaned over the table to kiss Jack’s cheek and then Davey’s.

…..

            Jack flipped through the little booklet that Sarah had given him. He felt a flutter of nerves in his stomach as he read over everything. When he felt a hand on his shoulder, he jumped, and blushed as he shoved the booklet into his lap so whoever it was couldn’t see it.

            “What’s that, Cowboy?” Race asked and shifted to try and see it.

            “Nothin’, what’s up, Racer?” Jack asked and covered the pamphlet with his hand.

            “I just was wonderin’ if we could talk about schedules. I got some kids that’re in your class too,” Race said and moved to sit, his hand pressed to the budding swell of his stomach. At nearly four months, Race was starting to show. Sooner because he’d been so thin before he’d gotten pregnant.

            “Yeah,” Jack said and moved to pull his binder with his proposed work schedules and his kids’ info packets in it. Race moved over to sit next to him and before Jack could think about it, Race had snatched the pamphlet from Jack’s lap.

            Jack’s face was burning as Race riffled through the pages. “Wow,” Racer said, his eyes big. “This gets real complicated when you don’t do it the fun way.”

            “Shut up, Racetrack!” Jack said, and he pulled the pamphlet from Race’s fingers.

            “What?” Race asked and frowned as he took in the blush on Jack’s face as he shoved the booklet into his work bag. “It ain’t like I don’t know.”

            “Still,” Jack said and shook his head. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

            “You still gonna go through wit’ it? Usin’ Sarah and everythin’?” Race asked.

            “Yeah, we are,” Jack said. “Sarah’s gotta get some tests done and then I’ve got to… ya know, and then we just wait.” Jack rubbed the back of his neck.

            “That’s great, Jack,” Race said and smiled at him. “Our kiddos’ll be around the same age. Weird to think about. That we’re gonna have babies at the same time.”

            “That’ll only be fun when they’s older,” Jack said. “Trust me, I’ve had two screamin’ babies at the same time.”

            Race made a face. “Fair point. Alright, let’s actually start plannin’ this year’s session.” Race said and pulled Jack’s binder toward himself.

…..

            “Did you read the pamphlets that I sent you?” Sarah asked the second she was in the door.

            “Yeah,” Jack said, shifted awkwardly. He felt the nerves go through the roof when he saw Katherine walking up the steps, obviously following Sarah. “Kath?”

            “Do you really think I was going to let my wife do this alone?” Katherine asked.

            Jack just shrugged and let her in, closing the door behind him. It suddenly felt very quiet as they all took each other in.

            The house was empty except for he, Davey, and now Sarah and Katherine. Race and Spot had, thankfully, taken the kids out for the afternoon. Jack rubbed his hands on his shorts and tried not to fidget like a little kid.

            “Now,” Sarah said cheerfully, “how would you like to do this?” Sarah asked and looked between the two of them.

            Davey looked at Jack, and Jack looked down at his feet, his face and ears burning. He hated how self-conscious he felt.

            “Jack, there’s no need to be shy,” Sarah said.

            “It’s alright, I’m fine,” Jack assured.

            “We can always wait for another month,” Davey said and rubbed Jack’s back soothingly.

            “No, no, it’s fine,” Jack said. “Just gimme the stuff and I’ll go down into our room.”

            Sarah nodded and reached into her purse and handed Jack a jar. “Sterilized and everything.”

            Jack just nodded.

            “Remember: no lotions, lubes, or anything else. Sorry, Jack, but you’re going to have to do this one dry or it’ll screw everything up,” Sarah said.

            “I got it, Sarah. I read the stuff you sent,” Jack said and nodded. “Make yourself at home while I just… yeah.” Jack headed to his and Davey’s bedroom, thankful to leave the awkward atmosphere. He closed the door and leaned his forehead against it, forcing himself to take a deep breath and then let it out slowly.

            He jumped though when he heard a knock. “Hey, Jackie, it’s me,” Davey said quietly. “You want to let me in?”

            Jack stepped back and opened the door. “Hey.”

            “Hey,” Davey said and slipped inside quietly. “You alright? You seemed a little jittery before.”

            “Yeah, I just… I feel weird talkin’ ‘bout jackin’ off in front of your sister and the mother of my children,” Jack shrugged.

            Davey nodded, his ears turning red. “Understandable.” He shifted nervously, and Jack could tell he wanted to say something else.

            “Dave?” Jack asked.

            “I just thought… well, that you might want, uh, well, want some help?” Davey was fumbling, and Jack just grinned a little at seeing Davey so flustered talking about sex.

            “What, ain’t ya sure?” Jack teased.

            “Jack,” Davey whined and shook his head.

            “Alright, alright,” Jack said. “You gonna be alright wit’ them being down the hall?” Jack asked.

            “As long as you don’t keep reminding me,” Davey said and pulled Jack in by his t-shirt.

            “Deal,” Jack said and was still smiling when Davey kissed him.

            It felt simple to kiss Davey. It felt safe and it felt nice as Jack coaxed Davey’s mouth open so he could slip his tongue inside. It was still pretty early on in the afternoon, so Davey still tasted like his morning coffee and the cinnamon-raisin bread that he liked. Jack felt himself de-stress as he kissed Davey and let his hand that wasn’t clutching the jar slip under Davey’s shirt.

            Davey pulled back and pressed light, chaste kisses to Jack’s cheek. “I love you,” Davey said against his skin as he moved to strip Jack’s shirt off.

            “I love you too,” Jack said, though his voice was tight and strained because Davey’s mouth was now biting and sucking a mark into his neck, and his hands were pulling Jack’s hips into his. Jack let out a hiss as Davey bit down particularly hard on his neck, but it didn’t really hurt that badly.

            Davey grinned as he pulled back and Jack couldn’t help but kiss him, moving them back toward the bed. Jack nipped at Davey’s bottom lip as he pressed the other into the bed, kneeling on the bed so he could be propped up above of him.

            Davey pulled back and he gently pried Jack’s fingers away from the jar and set it by them on the bed. Davey let his hands trace down Jack’s chest and paused when they were at the drawstring of Jack’s gym shorts. He palmed Jack through Jack’s pants.

            Jack let his head drop down onto Davey’s shoulder. “Fuck,” he breathed against Davey’s neck and thrust his hips into Davey’s touch, whining when Davey pulled his hand away. “Fuck, Davey.”

            “I know,” Davey said softly and pressed a kiss to Jack’s head. “I’m getting there, Jackie.”

            Jack pressed wet kisses to the side of Davey’s neck as Davey loosened the lid of the jar before he moved to slip his hand inside Jack’s shorts. He felt a hot shudder run down his back to find that Jack wasn’t wearing any boxers. Davey could feel Jack’s smile and breathless chuckle against his neck and shoulder.

            “Thought you might like that,” Jack said. He opened his mouth to say something else, but it was cut off by a fairly loud moan because Davey had just wrapped his warm fingers around Jack’s dick. Jack’s hips rocked into Davey’s touch on instinct.

            The friction was more than normal, but it wasn’t painful.

            “Kiss me,” Davey said and Jack immediately moved to comply. While they were kissing, Davey began to slowly move his hand. Jack shuddered, and he felt the warmth that was dancing over his skin settle into his stomach.

            Jack made a broken noise into Davey’s mouth as Davey’s thumb swiped over the head, Davey’s other hand coming up to curl into Jack’s hair. Davey tugged lightly, the way he knew Jack liked, so that Jack’s head was tilted back. He pressed open-mouthed kisses down Jack’s throat and let his teeth scrape over Jack’s skin.

            Davey and Jack shuddered in unison.

            “Davey,” Jack said and Davey hummed as he kissed Jack’s cheek.

            “I’m right here,” Davey said and he twisted his wrist. Jack’s arms locked, and Davey could see the way they were trembling with the effort to keep him upright. Davey had to let his hand drop so he could get Jack in a more comfortable position.

            He had Jack sit with his back to the headboard before he straddled Jack’s thighs. Jack bit his lip as Davey found his rhythm again, occasionally leaning in to kiss Jack or to mark up his neck or chest.

            By the time Davey could tell he was close to coming, Jack was covered in a thin sheen of sweat and the muscles in his stomach and legs were quivering. Davey had to change the angle so that when Jack came they could catch it in the jar.

            Davey kissed Jack through it as Jack shook and tried to keep from jerking his hips too much. If he did, he’d knock into where Davey was holding the jar and they’d have a mess, and they’d have done all that for nothing.

            Once Jack was finished, Davey put the lid on and set it on their bedside table so he could press feather-light kisses to Jack’s face.

            “I love you, babe,” Jack said. His smile was loose, and he still looked a little dazed, the way he usually did when he came hard like he just had.

            “I know, and I love you.” Davey grinned at him and kissed him again sweetly. He went to move off the bed and Jack whined in complaint.

            “No,” he said and grabbed at Davey’s shirt.

            “I’ll be right back, I’ve got to give this to Sarah and Katherine. That was the whole point,” Davey teased and pried Jack’s hands off him, giving them a quick kiss.

            “I’ve gotta get you back,” Jack said.

            “You’ll owe me one,” Davey said and grabbed the jar. He walked out to the living room and, with an embarrassed flush, handed it over to Sarah. “You can use the bathroom upstairs if you like, or the guest room.”

            “Guest room,” Sarah said with a smile. “I’ve got to lay down for a little while.” Sarah tucked her hair behind her ear and glanced behind Davey. “Is Jack alright?” She was smiling so Davey knew she was teasing him.

            “Yeah, just a little… out of it,” Davey said. Davey noticed the way Katherine tensed up at that and her stance shifted to be rather defensive. “I’ll leave you to it. Keep your fingers crossed.”

            “Same to you,” Sarah said and took Katherine’s hand before heading to the guest room. Davey went to the kitchen and got two glasses of water and a dishtowel before heading back to his and Jack’s room.

            “Hey,” Davey said quietly and set everything down on the bedside table.

            “Hey,” Jack said from where he was now laying down in bed. His eyes looked clearer and Davey smiled as he took in how wrecked Jack looked: his hair was standing up from Davey’s fingers being in it, his neck and chest were decorated with small red-purple marks, and his gym shorts looked like they hadn’t even really been pulled back up, despite Jack’s dick being settled back inside them.

            “Brought you some water, and a towel. You’re all sweaty,” Davey said and moved to grab up a glass for Jack.

            “Thank you,” Jack said and clumsily grabbed for the dish towel so he could wipe off the majority of the sweat on his face and chest. Davey handed him the water once he was sat back up.

            “Sarah and Katherine are in the guest room, doing… their part,” Davey said, his cheeks burning a little.

            “Figured,” Jack said gently pulled Davey into his side.

            They sat in silence as Jack buried his nose in Davey’s hair and just breathed, still a little fuzzy from his orgasm. But then he noticed the look on Davey’s face.

            “You alright, Davey?” Jack asked and frowned a little.

            “What?” Davey asked, blinking rapidly like he’d been thinking. “Oh, yeah. I’m fine. Of course.” But he didn’t seem fine.

            “Davey…” Jack started and squeezed Davey’s shoulders. “What’s goin’ on?”

            “Nothing,” Davey said. He let out a sigh. “It’s just… it’s crazy to think that my sister is going to be pregnant with your baby.”

            “ _Our_ baby,” Jack corrected.

            Davey nodded.

            Jack bit his lip nervously. “You’re not havin’ second thoughts are ya, Davey?”

            “No,” Davey said firmly and kissed Jack’s cheek. “No, of course not. I guess it just hit me how _real_ this is. That we’re going to have a baby. A little tiny baby.”

            Jack laughed and nodded. “Yeah, we are.”

            Davey laughed and leaned into Jack. “I love you, and I’m really glad I’m doing this with you.”

            “Me too, Davey,” Jack said honestly.

            Jack moved to slip out of bed. “Where’re you going?” Davey asked with a raised eyebrow.

            “’M all sweaty, I need a shower. Besides, I’m pretty sure I owe you,” Jack said with a mischievous grin.

            “I seem to recall the same thing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, glad to have that bit out of the way. Soon I'm gonna be off for the summer and I'll have more time to update more often. Finals are crazy but I'm thinking about this story even if I'm not working on it!   
> -James


	18. Chapter 18

            Jack loved his mother. He loved his siblings as well.

            What he didn’t love was trying to tell them anything.

            They were having their usual end of the summer bash and Jack and Davey had resolved to tell Jack’s family about the baby. But Jack’s stomach was in knots as he smiled, tensely, at something Albert was saying.

            It wasn’t until he was talking to Smalls that anyone seemed to notice he was off.

            “J, are you alright?” Smalls asked, her brows furrowed.

            “What? Oh, yeah,” Jack said and shrugged.

            “C’mon, big bro,” Smalls said and punched his arm. “’Fess up.”

            “It’s nothin’, sis,” Jack said and smiled at her.

            “Let the record show, I don’t believe you,” Smalls said before wandering over to grab another beer. Jack felt himself relax just a little when Davey came over and sat next to him.

            “Nervous?” Davey asked quietly, smoothing the collar of Jack’s shirt.

            “A little… a lot,” Jack admitted. He grinned genuinely though when Atticus came up and launched himself into Jack’s lap. “Hey, Bud,” Jack said and pushed Atticus’s damp hair from his eyes. “Havin’ fun?”

            “Yeah!” Atticus said. “But now I’m a little cold.”

            “It’s because you’re all wet,” Davey said and stood to go and grab a towel. Atticus hopped off of Jack’s lap and let Davey wrap him up. “Better?”

            “It will be if I can sit in your lap,” Atticus said with a grin. “’Cause Uncle Race says we’re both getting too big for it.”

            Jack looked over to see Race sitting mostly to himself. He’d been not feeling great lately and Jack frowned in concern. “How about I go check in on ‘im?” Jack smiled at where Atticus was curled under Davey’s chin. He kissed Atticus and then Davey before walking over to Race. “How you feelin’?”

            “Big and exhausted,” Race admitted and Jack could see the dark circles starting to form under his eyes.

            “You ain’t that big, Racer,” Jack said. Race’s bump was growing steadily and Jack tried to give him an encouraging smile. “It’ll all be worth it, just remember that.” Race nodded and he leaned into Jack’s shoulder, letting his eyes slip shut.

            Race hummed and Jack patted his shoulder.

            “Hey, baby,” Spot said uncharacteristically soft as he sat on Race’s other side. “Feelin’ okay?”

            “Yeah, just a little tired,” Race said. He turned to Jack with a face. “The kid kept me up all night kickin’ me in the ribs.”

            “Maybe your kiddo will be a soccer player,” Jack teased and Race shook his head.

            “Well can’t they wait ‘til they ain’t inside o’ me,” Race lamented and shifted so lean on Spot.

            “Just a four more months, Tony,” Spot said and kissed Race’s head.

            “I know,” Race said and closed his eyes.

            “You’ll get through it,” Jack said and patted Race’s shoulder. Race swatted at him with a smile.

            “Yeah, yeah.”

            “Uncle Spot!” Lilabet ran over, her hair a mess and smiling breathlessly. “I found you! You aren’t very good at hiding.”

            Spot just shook his head at her. “I tol’ ya I was tappin’ out to check on Uncle Race.”

            Lilabet pouted a little and flopped herself over Spot’s knees. “You’re no fun.”

            “Princess, I’s tons o’ fun,” Spot said and tickled her sides.

            “Uncle Spooooooot!” Lilabet shrieked as she tried to push his hands away.

            “Alright, alright,” Spot said and just ruffled her hair with a laugh. “I guess I’ll have mercy on ya.”

            Lilabet’s attention turned quickly to Race. “Uncle Race, can’t your baby get here soon?”

            Race laughed. “Trust me, Lil. I wish it would.”

            “But Daddy and Davey’s baby won’t come until _yours_ does!”

            Jack bit his lip as Spot’s eyes, suddenly very wide and shocked, were turned on him. “Davey and Daddy’s baby, huh?” Spot asked.

            “Yeah,” Lilabet said with a grin. “I get to be a big sister, but Daddy said the baby won’t come until Uncle Race’s baby comes. So I want Uncle Race to hurry up and get his baby so we can get ours!”

            “Our what, baby?” Medda asked as she walked over, catching the end of Lilabet’s little speech.

            “Our _baby_ , Yaya. Daddy and Davey’s baby.”

            “Mama,” Jack said and stood, suddenly a little nervous. “I was gonna tell yous…”

            “A baby, Jack?” Medda asked quietly.

            “Yeah, Mama. Me and Davey’s havin’ a baby,” Jack said and he felt tense. He suddenly felt like this had spiraled and he didn’t have control.

            “Why did you tell me, Jack?” Miss Medda asked and Jack could tell she was a little hurt.

            “Well, for a bit we’s wasn’t sure and then if it didn’t take we didn’t want nobody to get their hopes up,” Jack said and rubbed the back of his neck.

            “We’re still not even sure that it took,” Davey said from where he was standing with Crutchie and Smalls. “We’re gonna hear by next week.”

            “And I was plannin’ on tellin’ ya,” Jack said. “It just seems Lilabet beat me to the punch.” Jack ruffled his daughter’s hair.

            “Well,” Miss Medda said and moved over to hug Jack tightly. “I’m happy, if you’re happy, honey.”

            “I am,” Jack said and smiled. “We are.” He grinned at Davey.

            Jack grinned and talked about it with all his siblings. Smalls was happy but thought he was crazy, JoJo was supportive, so was Albert, Crutchie was as smiley and positive as ever, Race had already known but he seemed pleased, but Spot was unusually reserved.

            Jack waited until most of the rest of them were distracted again before he bumped Spot’s shoulder. “What’s eatin’ at you?” Jack asked quietly.

            “Come have a smoke wit’ me, J,” Spot said.

            “You know Mama and Davey don’t like it,” Jack said but followed after him.

            “Yeah, and Racer don’t like it neither, but I still have one and every now and then,” Spot said and they moved toward the side of Miss Medda’s house. It was the same spot they’d used to sneak cigarettes when they were teenagers. They sat with their back against the house, legs stretched out into the grass.

            “So,” Jack said and blew out a cloud of smoke.

            “You outta your goddamn mind, Jack?” Spot asked sharply.

            “Maybe,” Jack said. “But I told ya that Davey wanted a baby.”

            “But I didn’t think you’d actually do it,” Spot said. There was a long stretch of silence where they passed the lit cigarette between the two of them. “I just don’t want nothin’ to happen between the two of yous and have you getcha heart broke again.”

            “I know,” Jack said. “But this time it’s different, Spot. I can feel it every time I’s around ‘im. I don’t feel… squished like I did with Katherine. I mean, I loved her, and in some ways I’ll probably always love ‘er, but with Davey…” Jack whistled. “It’s somethin’, and I just can’t tell ya about it because words can’t do nothin’.”

            Spot gave Jack a lopsided grin. “I know what ya mean, Jack,” Spot said.

            “How’re you feelin’ about this baby comin’. Five months ain’t a long time,” Jack pointed out.

            “I’s terrified, if I’s bein’ honest. And I know Racer’s gonna put on a brave face wit’ everyone, but he’s a little down and nervous about it all too. Must be hard for ‘im,” Spot said thoughtfully. “I just… I wanna be a better parent than mine. I don’t want my kid to ever wonder about whether I care or not, not like we grew up.” Jack nodded. He knew that both he and Spot didn’t remember a whole lot about their parents, but they both had stayed up late at night wondering if their parents had ever really loved them. So Jack definitely could understand wanting to make sure your kids felt loved. That’s why he made sure to tell Benjy, Lilabet, and Atticus every day.

            “You’s’re gonna be fine,” Jack said and clapped Spot on the shoulder. “If I can do it myself without fuckin’ up then you can do it.” Jack grinned and Spot grinned back.

            “What are you two doing?” Jack was blowing out a lungful of smoke when Davey walked over.

            “Nothin’,” both of them said in unison out of habit.

            “Jack, you know how I feel about smoking,” Davey said with a frown.

            “I know, I know,” Jack said and he pushed himself up, brushing the dirt and grass off his pants. “It was just a little bit. I’m sorry, baby.” Jack leaned in and kissed Davey. Davey pulled away and made a face.

            “Ugh, I can taste it,” Davey muttered and wiped a hand over the back of his mouth.

            “Alright, I ain’t gonna smoke no more,” Jack laughed. He turned back to Spot. “We alright, little brother?”

            “Yeah,” Spot said and waved his head. “Head back. I’m just gonna finish this up. Tony’ll kill me if he finds me so run interference would ya?” Jack nodded and he and Davey walked back.

            “You’d think with Spot being a nurse he wouldn’t have such a nasty habit,” Davey mumbled.

            “They’s things about Spot that you don’t know, Dave. Let the man have a smoke every now and then.” Jack slipped his hand into Davey’s.

            “You’re not off the hook for the cigarette,” Davey said.

            “I’ll find a way to make it up to ya,” Jack said. Davey rolled his eyes and they stepped back into the noisy back yard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick reveal for Jack's family. Davey's family'll be next and that one will probably be pretty short as well. Hope y'all liked it!  
> -James


	19. Chapter 19

            Jack had been so absorbed in his paperwork and lesson planning that he’d completely forgotten what day it was. Despite Davey having written, and enthusiastically circled, the date onto Jack’s personal calendar in bright red pen.

            So he was a little off-guard and disoriented when Davey came into his office, nearly bursting with excitement.

            “Ready?” Davey asked.

            “What?” Jack asked and glanced up from his fine-tuning of his ice-breaker game.

            “The sonogram is today,” Davey said, his smile dimming a little. “Jack, please tell me you didn’t forget.”

            “Sorry,” Jack said and stood. “Just had a lot on my mind, Dave. Where’re the kids?”

            “With your mother and Crutchie upstairs,” Davey said and rubbed Jack’s back.

            “Got it,” Jack said. He patted his pockets to make sure he had everything before he and Davey left. As Davey drove, Jack’s stomach twisted into nervous knots.

            He wanted everything to go right, but he was also nervous. While his family had taken it rather well. Davey’s parents hadn’t.

            _Davey and Sarah had decided they’d wanted to both be there to explain what was going on. Jack was finally pretty settled with the idea of a baby so he hadn’t thought much of it._

_They’d all been sitting there in the living room, Les included, when Davey had finally broken and started to speak beyond the idle small-talk._

_“_ Ima, Abba _,” Davey said, grinning, “I’ve got something to tell you.”_

_Both Davey’s parents looked a little concerned._

_“Jack and I decided to have a baby,” Davey said and slipped his hand into Jack’s._

_“I don’t understand,_ David _,” Ester said._

 _“Well,” Sarah said. “I’m carrying the baby and we used Jack as the donor. That way the baby can be related to Jack’s three children and since_ David _and I are twins-”_

_Sarah was cut off by an outraged cry from both of her and Davey’s parents._

_Jack didn’t understand the sudden rush and loud cacophony of Hebrew from the whole of the Jacobs family._

_But he perfectly understood the way Davey’s face fell and then his eyes filled up with tears. Jack squeezed Davey’s hand, not sure what to do, how to help._

            Jack shook himself out of the awful memory. Sarah had cried when she’d seen Davey crying and based on whatever their parents had said to her.

            Thankfully, Les had told them he thought it was nice and that he was looking forward to having a niece or nephew. And that he would talk to Ester and Meyer. That had seemed to settle the twins a little, but Jack knew that Davey was still deeply upset.

            “You okay?” Davey asked.

            “Yeah,” Jack said. “Just thinkin’.”

            “What about?” Davey asked as he made a turn.

            “Just what about what ‘appened,” Jack said.

            Davey’s face closed off.

            “Davey,” Jack said and moved to put his hand on Davey’s leg. “Hey, let’s not think on it. Today’s gonna be a _good_ day. Yeah?”

            Davey relaxed a little and nodded. “Yeah.”

            “I love you, Davey.”

            “Love you too, Jack,” Davey said with a smile as they pulled into the hospital parking lot.

            “Let’s go see our baby.” Jack kissed Davey after they’d parked.

…..

            Jack set his hand on Davey’s knee to stop him from bouncing it nervously. “Hey,” Jack said and gave Davey’s knee a gentle squeeze. “It’s just a sonogram, Davey.”

            “I know,” Davey said. “But it’s the first time we’re going to see our baby!”

            “Alright, alright, but settle down,” Jack said. Jack waved at Sarah when she walked in. “Hey, Sarah.”

            “Hey, boys.” Sarah had her hands in her pockets and she seemed excited but in a much more reserved way than her brother.

            They chatted quietly while they waited. “Sarah Jacobs?” The nurse called while looking at the chart in her hands.

            “C’mon,” Sarah said and tugged on Davey’s hand. “I’m bringing these two back with me ‘cause they’re adopting the baby,” Sarah said to the nurse quietly. “Is that alright?”

            “Sure, we want everyone to feel involved,” the nurse said with soft smile. “Just follow me back.”

            They all walked back and Sarah got onto the exam table, Jack and Davey sitting on the chairs against the wall so they weren’t in the way. The nurse got everything set up and she hummed as she moved the wand around on Sarah’s stomach.

            It was a moment before the nurse smiled at the screen. “Well, there’s your baby.” She turned to Jack and Davey and nodded to the screen. Jack smiled brightly and nudged Davey gently. Davey couldn’t take his eyes off of the screen. “I’m assuming you’ll want pictures.”

            “Please,” Davey said quietly.

            “That’d be perfect,” Jack said. “Thank you.”

            The nurse had them sent to be printed and told them that the doctor would be with them shortly. Jack kissed Davey’s temple as Sarah wiped the gel from her stomach and sat up. There was a quick update with the doctor, everything was fine and looked great, before they were handed the pictures of the baby.

            Jack had gently put his into his wallet beside the picture of Benjy, Atticus, and Lilabet that he always had in there. He smiled at them both and bid Sarah goodbye before heading towards the car with Davey.

            “So,” Jack said once they were inside. “What do you think of our little smear?” Jack asked teasingly. Because that’s all the baby really looked like at this point.

            “I think we have the cutest little smear in the world,” Davey said.

            Jack shook his head. “Sap.”

            “Damn right I am,” Davey said and grinned before he leaned over and kissed Jack. “Let me be a sap, not all of us have already done this twice.”

…..

            “Dad!!” Benjy sprinted over and clung onto Jack’s leg. Jack pressed a kiss to Benjy’s head and smoothed his hair.

            “Hey, B,” Jack said and lifted him up. “What’d I miss?”

            “I did dance class with Uncle Race. He said I was his guinea pig,” Benjy said with pride.

            “Did ya have fun?” Jack asked.

            “Yup.”

            “Good,” Jack said and kissed his cheek. “You wanna help me out, champ?”

            “Yeah!” Benjy said. Jack went into his room and dumped all the crayons onto the floor.

            “I need to make sure every bucket has one of every color,” Jack said and they started to separate the colors. “So,” Jack said. “I know things have been busy and we haven’t gotten to have as much time together as we usually do,” Jack said, feeling a little guilty. “How do you feel about startin’ third grade? You excited?”

            Benjy shrugged. “It’s okay, I guess.”

            “Whattya mean?” Jack asked. Usually Benjy was excited about school starting.

            “I just think it’s lame. School.” Benjy wrinkled his nose and Jack frowned.

            “What? You love school, B. What happened?” Jack asked. But Benjy just shrugged and put crayons onto their piles. “You sure? ‘Cause if there’s somethin’…”

            “No, it’s okay, Dad.” Benjy smiled at him and they finished up with the crayons.

            “You wanna see somethin’? I ain’t showed your brother and sister yet. You’ll be the first person other than me and Davey to see.” Benjy perked up and he nodded. “C’mere,” Jack said. Benjy scrambled into Jack’s lap as Jack pulled out his wallet. He pulled out the sonogram picture. “See that right there?” Jack asked and pointed to the light-colored smudge.

            “Yeah,” Benjy said and set his finger beside Jack’s on the photo.

            “That,” Jack said quietly, “is your baby brother or sister.”

            Benjy just sat quietly and Jack kissed his temple.

            “Did Atticus and Lilabet look like that?” Benjy asked. “Did _I_ look like that?”

            “Yeah,” Jack said and laughed. “Yeah, you all did at one point.”

            “Babies are weird,” Benjy said and shoved the picture away. Jack frowned a little at that. It wasn’t normal Benjy behavior, but maybe he was just bored of baby talk.

…..

            Jack had shown the little photo of Atticus and Lilabet when he was tucking them in and they’d gotten excited and asked a million questions. Jack was grinning as he’d had to get them resettled. He kissed them both goodnight before he’d went into his and Davey’s bedroom.

            “How was Benjy?” Jack asked. He and Davey had started taking turns putting the kids to bed.

            “Fine,” Davey said and bit his lip.

            “What?” Jack asked as he tossed his shirt into the hamper.

            “Well… he seemed a little sulky, but I figured it had to do with going back to school.” Davey shrugged.

            “He was pouting earlier too,” Jack said. “We were talkin’ ‘bout goin’ to school and he seemed really… disinterested. Which is weird for ‘im.” Jack shrugged. “I figured it’s just him growin’ out of his curiosity phase, and school is just a routine now, but… well I showed him the picture of the baby and-”

            “What?” Davey asked.

            “Well, he asked me a question and then he shoved the picture away,” Jack said. “He’s usually not like that but… maybe he just was bored and restless. I dunno.” Jack shrugged. “But it seemed weird to me.”

            “You don’t think he’s upset about the baby do you?” Davey asked.

            “No,” Jack shook his head. “I’m sure it’s just him gettin’ older and gettin’ moody is all. Most kids start actin’ up before they’s Benjy’s age. He’s eight years old and I’ve hardly ever had problems outta ‘im.”

            “I guess.” Davey said and settled. “Makes sense. With two parents in the house now I’m sure he doesn’t feel as much pressure to act grown up.”

            “Exactly. I wouldn’t worry ‘bout ‘im unless it gets real bad,” Jack said and moved to kiss Davey goodnight.

            “If you’re sure,” Davey said and stretched his arms.

            “I’s sure.”

            “Alright. Goodnight, Jack,” Davey said and shifted onto his stomach to get some sleep.

            “Night, Dave.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick update to tide y'all over until I'm back regularly, and to set up the next part of our story! Finals are coming up and will be over by the first/second week of May so I'll see y'all then! Hope you liked it :)  
> -James


	20. Chapter 20

            “Dr. Kelly, how may I help you?”

            “Dr. Kelly, we have your son, Benjamin, in the office. He’s in a bit of trouble. There was an incident with another student.”

            “What happened? Is he okay?”

            “He’s fine, but… he’s bitten another student.”

            “I’ll be right there.”

…..

            Jack frowned as he listened to Hanna, the school’s secretary, explain what happened.

            “Then outta the blue, Benjamin bit Nicholas,” Hannah said.

            “Are ya sure? I just, Benjy ain’t never done nothin’ like this without a reason.”

            “He wouldn’t say much so we don’t know what to think,” Hannah said gently. “We were hopin’ you might be able to get somethin’ outta him. Davey’s been tryin’ but…”

            “Yeah, o’ course,” Jack said. He headed into the little conference room where Benjy was sitting with Davey standing in the corner. “Hey,” Jack said to Davey and then moved to crouch in front of Benjy. “B, what’s goin’ on?” Jack asked.

            Benjy just shifted and kept his eyes on the ground.

            Jack looked at Davey who just shrugged.

            “Benjy, look at me,” Jack said firmly.

            Benjy scowled and kept his eyes on the ground.

            “Benjamin Nathaniel Kelly,” Jack said sternly, “you look at me when I’m talkin’ to you.”

            Benjy looked up but he was still scowling. “What?”

            “Don’t gimme attitude, young man. You’s in serious trouble,” Jack said. “Whattya thinkin’ bitin’ somebody?”

            “I don’t know,” Benjy mumbled.

            “Then why did ya do it?” Jack asked. “Bitin’ is for babies, Benjy. You’s eight years old, you ain’t a baby no more.”

            Benjy kicked the leg of the chair, anger flashing in his eyes. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

            “Tough,” Jack said. “I don’t care what you want. You’s gonna tell me why you’s bitin’ or I’m gonna let the school punish you however they want. _And_ you’ll be grounded at home.” Jack gave Benjy a long look, figuring this would break his stubborn streak.

            Benjy sat for a moment. He looked between Jack and Davey, then shrugged casually despite the tears that Jack could see glittering in his eyes. “Fine. I don’t care.”

            Davey sucked in a breath. “Alright, but don’t say your dad didn’t warn you.”

…..

            “I can’t believe he bit someone,” Davey said as they washed up the dishes from dinner.

            “Me neither,” Jack said.

            “I wonder why.” Davey frowned and looked over at where Benjy was scowling as he watched Atticus and Lilabet play a board game. Benjy wasn’t allowed to play as part of his punishment.

            “He still won’t say. That’s why I’ve gotta ground ‘im. No games, no TV, no bedtime stories.” Jack didn’t like it, but he had to keep Benjy from acting up. “Plus he has a detention on Friday. You gonna be able to pick ‘im up?”

            “Yeah of course,” Davey said.

            “Thanks,” Jack said and pinched the bridge of his nose.

            “Hey,” Davey said and touched Jack’s arm softly. “It’s alright. It’s just a phase. He’ll get over it.”

            “Yeah,” Jack said but he wasn’t convinced.

…..

            A week passed with few big incidents. Benjy was still sulky and talked back to both Jack and Davey, but they figured they’d ignore it since Benjy was obviously just trying to get a rise out of them.

            Jack and Davey were working quietly when Lilabet came running in, crying. She ran to Davey and clung onto him.

            “Sweetpea, what’s wrong?” Jack asked and gently rubbed her back.

            “B-Benjy!” Lilabet wailed.

            “What about Benjy?” Davey asked, exchanging a look with Jack.

            “He-he took my-my baby! And h-he threw her!” Lilabet sobbed into Davey’s knees.

            “C’mere,” Jack said and moved his papers so she could climb into his lap. “Okay, alright,” Jack said soothingly, kissing her hair and rocking her. “Davey’s gonna go get your baby and Benjy. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

            Davey got up, face determined, and headed to the kids’ bedrooms.

            Jack managed to get Lilabet to stop crying and he was still rocking her gently when Davey walked in with Benjy and Lilabet’s baby doll.

            “Benjy, apologize to your sister,” Jack said. Benjy just clenched his teeth. “Now!” Jack snapped.

            “I don’t wanna!” Jack shouted.

            “That’s it,” Jack said, standing and handing Lilabet to Davey. “You, young man, are goin’ to your room. And you’s gonna stay there until you’s ready to apologize to your sister.” Jack took Benjy’s hand and Started walking him in that direction.

            Jack was shocked and furious when he felt his son bite his hand.

            “Benjamin Nathaniel Kelly!” Davey shouted.

            Jack jerked his hand away, a bad idea, and cradled it close to his chest. He was so shocked, he didn’t say a word, but Davey took over quickly.

            “Got to your room, Benjy. Now.”

            “You’re not my dad! I don’t have to listen to you!” That kick-started Jack’s brain.

            “You’re not gonna talk to Davey like that,” Jack said and he lifted Benjy over his shoulder. He carried his son, kicking and screaming, into his room. Jack closed the door and stood there, his hand throbbing dully, as he listened to Benjy throwing a tantrum.

            “Daddy!”

            Jack looked over to see Atticus standing there, covering his ears.

            “Your hand is bleedin’!”

            When Jack looked, it was. Benjy had bitten him… hard enough to bleed. Jack lifted Atticus and walked them into the living room where Davey was standing with Lilabet.

            “Jack…”

            “Not now, please,” Jack said, his voice cracking. He was a little overwhelmed with how Benjy was acting. He couldn’t be having this kind of behavior around the baby. What if Benjy bit the baby? Or hit the baby? He could really hurt them. Jack’s mind was spiraling until Davey’s voice broke through.

            “Baby, your hand,” Davey said softly and nodded to where Jack’s hand was still bleeding.

            “It’s fine.”

            “It’s not.”

            “Davey-”

            “Jackie, please,” Davey said quietly. “Your scaring the kids.” Jack looked at where Lilabet and Atticus were staring at him with identical looks of discomfort. Jack’s throat felt tight and he nodded.

            “Atti, will you get the first aid kit, please?” Jack asked quietly as he set him down. He suddenly felt very drained and he sat down heavily as Atticus sprinted off. Davey set Lilabet down and she scrambled over to Jack to get into his lap so she could hug him tightly.

            “Let me see your hand,” Davey said.

            Jack stuck out his hand and he just used his free hand to make sure Lilabet didn’t topple over backwards. He felt like his brain was on autopilot. He was aware of him speaking to Atticus and Davey once Atticus came back with the kit, but his brain was up in Benjy’s room.

            And Jack was glad that it was because when they heard a thud, Jack was immediately up, after setting Lilabet down gently, and running to Benjy’s room.

            Jack opened the door and he felt his heart hit the roof of his mouth when he saw Benjy standing in the middle of his destroyed room, crying, and holding his hand left eye.

            “Benjy!” Jack said but he wasn’t angry, he was concerned. “Are you okay?” Jack asked and he moved Benjy’s hand away from his face to see that Benjy had knocked something into his head and cut himself. “What happened?” Jack asked and took the sleeve of his shirt and wiped the blood away so he could get a better look.

            But Benjy was crying so hard that he could barely get enough air, let alone talk.

            “My God.” Jack turned to see Davey, first aid kit thankfully in hand, standing in the doorway.

            “Gimme that,” Jack said and held out his hand. Once he had it he took the penlight out so he could shine it on the cut. “Does that look deep?” Jack asked, his stomach tight with panic.

            Davey moved to stand next to Jack and took the light from Jack’s shaking hand. “No, Jack. He’s okay. But let’s get a band-aid on that.” Davey riffled around for a moment before he finally got one out and he smoothed it onto Benjy’s skin.

            Jack hugged Benjy tightly and smoothed Benjy’s hair down. “Don’t scare me like that,” Jack said and he felt shaky all over. “What were you thinking?” He asked as he pulled away.

            “I-I-I just wanted to-to… I don’t know!” Benjy wailed and Jack swiped Benjy’s tears off his cheeks. “I just-I just felt so twisted up on the inside!” Jack bit his lip and he shook his head. “I hurt bad, and I-I didn’t want th-the baby to m-make you love me l-less!”

            “Benjy we would _never_ ,” Davey said and he took Benjy’s hand. “Listen,” Davey said and he gave the boy’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Your dad and I love you, so much, and having the baby isn’t going to change that.”

            Benjy sniffed and he wiped his nose. “Promise?” He asked quietly.

            “Of course,” Jack said and he kissed Benjy’s cheek. “I didn’t love you any less when the twins was born. But they was babies and needed lots of attention, and this baby will too.”

            “But that doesn’t mean we don’t love you,” Davey said.

            “Okay,” Benjy said and he bit his lip.

            “And if you was upset about the baby, why didn’t you talk to us?” Jack asked.

            “I… I don’t know,” Benjy said. “I thought… you were so happy and I didn’t wanna ruin it.” He bit his lip.

            “We always want to know what you think,” Jack said fiercely. “Always.”

            Davey nodded in agreement when Benjy looked to him.

            “But you can’t act like this. No more tantrums, no more bitin’,” Jack said sternly. “You can’t do this no more. And I’m gonna have to call your Mama to talk to her about this. We’re gonna have to figure out a way for you to channel all this.”

            Benjy nodded and sniffed.

            “Now let’s get this stuff cleaned up,” Davey said.

            They worked quietly and righted Benjy’s bookshelf, putting the books back where they belonged. They remade Benjy’s bed and picked up his scattered toys.

            “Now I’m gonna call your Mama,” Jack said.

            “Okay,” Benjy said quietly. Jack pulled out his cell and called Katherine. He walked out of Benjy’s room and downstairs so he could stand in the yard.

            “Hey, Jack,” she said and Jack felt his stomach twist up. “Something wrong?”

            “A little yeah,” Jack said. “You might wanna sit down for this…”

…..

            “Oh my God, Jack are you alright?” Katherine asked after Jack finished the whole story about Benjy’s tantrums. “Is he alright?”

            “We’re fine,” Jack reassured. “But I’m thinkin’… we should sign him up for a program.”

            “What?” Katherine asked quietly.

            “I think Benjy needs to learn to manage his anger, Kath. I think it’d be good for him to take some classes, find an outlet for him.”

            “He’s not one of your troubled kids!” Katherine protested.

            “He is! Look, Kath, if you had seen the meltdowns he’s been havin’ we wouldn’t be arguin’ about this,” Jack said. “I don’t really need your permission to sign him up, but it’d be nice if I had your support for once.”

            “That’s not fair.”

            “No it’s not!” Jack snapped. “I get that you don’t like the thought of havin’ a troubled kid, but that’s what you got. So either you’re on board or I’ll handle it myself.”

            There was a long stretch of silence. Jack could hear a low hum and he could only assume that Katherine was talking with Sarah. There was a crackle and then Sarah was on the phone.

            “What’re you thinking?” Sarah asked.

            “I think since he likes takin’ lessons with Race, then he should take Racer’s dance class,” Jack said. “He won’t be with me and feel stifled, but he’ll be with someone he’s comfortable with and knows. And if that don’t work we’ll go from there, find him somethin’ else.”

            “I think that’s reasonable,” Sarah said. “I think it’ll be good for him, settle him before the baby gets here.”

            “And that’s why I’m doin’ this,” Jack said. “I don’t want to bring a baby into this house if somethin’ could happen. And Benjy wants the baby, he just… it’s complicated.”

            “He’s a good kid, Jack,” Sarah said.

            “I know that,” Jack said. “But good kids sometimes need extra help too. I just want to get ‘im the support he needs.”

            “Okay,” Katherine said, her voice tight. But she wasn’t angry, she was upset. “Do what you think is right, Jack. I trust you.”

            And Jack felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest. “Thank you. It’ll be alright, Katherine.”

            “I know.”

            “Still gonna get the kiddos on Friday?”

            “Yup.”

            “Remember Race’s baby shower is on Saturday though, and he wants the kids there.”

            “I won’t forget,” Katherine said.

            “Alright. I gotta tuck the kids in.”

            “Give them hugs and kisses from us,” Sarah said.

            “Will do.” Jack smiled and then hung up. He ran a hand over his face and he felt tears slipping down his cheeks. He wiped them away quickly when he heard footsteps.

            “You okay?” Davey asked and wrapped his arms around Jack’s waist from behind.

            “Yeah, o’ course,” Jack said, trying for nonchalant.

            “Jacky…” Davey said and he turned Jack around. “Whoa, hey,” he said when he noted the tear tracks on Jack’s face. “What’s goin’ on?”

            “Nothin’,” Jack said thickly.

            “Jack,” Davey said seriously. “We’re a team. If we can’t talk to each other, who c _an_ we talk to?” Davey smiled at him warmly. “Come on, you know you’ll feel better if you tell me.”

            Jack couldn’t help it. It was like a dam had broken. He buried his face in Davey’s chest and just cried. He cried because he was scared about the baby and about Benjy, but he also cried because he was frustrated and angry at himself. He held onto Davey’s shirt and just cried until he was just pressing his face against Davey’s chest and trying to catch his breath.

            “I don’t want ‘im to turn out like the kids I work with,” Jack admitted and rubbed at his eyes. “So many of ‘em… they’s traumatized, Davey. I don’t want that for ‘im.” Jack sighed heavily and pulled away.

            “He’s not going to be traumatized, Jack,” Davey said.

            “You don’t know that!” Jack protested.

            “Yes, I do,” Davey said. “Because Benjy’s got four parents who are going to make sure he’s got the best care. He’s going to be fine.”

            “Okay,” Jack said and took a shaky breath.

            “Come on. Let’s get the kids tucked in,” Davey said.

            “Sounds great.”

…..

            “Remind me to not have a baby shower when I get there,” Sarah said and Katherine slapped Sarah’s arm.

            “Sarah,” Katherine said.

            “I’ve got to agree,” Davey said.

            “Shuddup,” Jack said. But he had to agree. Maria had really gone all-out with the decorations in Race and Spot’s apartment. Everything was either an alarming shade of pink, or a pastel blue that made even Jack’s eyes ache.

            “All of this is for a _baby_?” Benjy asked skeptically.

            “Yes, now behave,” Jack said sternly.

            “Did you have a big party like this before we were born?” Lilabet asked.

            “We did,” Katherine said.

            “Was it fun?” Atticus asked.

            Jack and Katherine looked at each other and both painted on smiles. “Yeah,” they said in unison.

            Davey gave Jack a look and Jack shrugged.

            “Why don’t you all go and see if you can help Uncle Spot?” Davey asked and shooed the kids toward the kitchen.

            “Just remember this is for Race and Spot,” Jack mumbled so just Davey could hear.

            “Noted.”

…..

            “So I know this is lame,” Spot said as he held out a ball to Jack, “but we had Cecilia fill it with colored sand.” Spot rubbed the back of his neck. “If I hit it, it’ll bust open and we’ll find out the gender.”

            “That’s neat, Spot,” Jack said.

            “You wanna throw the lucky pitch?” Spot asked.

            “I’d love ta,” Jack said and took the ball from Spot’s hand.

            “Let’s do this,” Spot said and slapped Jack on the back.

            They stepped outside where everyone was gathering and Spot grinned as he took the bat from Race, giving him a kiss and then pressing a quick kiss to Race’s belly.

            “Ready?” Jack asked as they took steps away from each other.

            “Yeah,” Spot said and he squared up, getting into a batting stance. “Let’s do this.”

            Jack got ready and he threw a soft underhanded pitch. Spot hit it with a crack and it felt like there was a split second where nothing was happening, and then they were both being sprinkled with blue glitter and sand.

            Spot grinned and he looked to Race.

            “It’s a boy!” Spot grinned.

            “It’s a boy,” Race agreed and laughed as Spot ran over and scooped him up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was a bit of an emotionally charged chapter. it was pretty hard for me to write and I hope you guys enjoy it! :)  
> -James


	21. Chapter 21

            “Italian,” Race said.

            “Irish,” Spot countered.

            “Italian!” Race insisted.

            “Irish!” Spot scowled.

            “What are they arguing about?” Davey asked.

            “Italian name vs. Irish name for the baby,” Jack said and rubbed his temples. He’d been listening to them bickering back and forth. “Why does it matter?” Jack asked.

            Both of them gave him a look as if to say he was an idiot.

            “It matters,” Race said blandly.

            “Got it,” Jack said and sipped his coffee to hide a grin.

            “Why don’t you do one of each?” Davey suggested.

            “We’s agreed on that,” Spot said. “But we can’t agree on which one’ll come first.”

            Davey nodded. “Please tell me _we_ aren’t going to have this problem.”

            “I wouldn’t bet on it, Dave,” Jack said. “Me and Kath fought for nearly a month over the kids’ names.”

            “God help us,” Davey muttered.

            “I’s the one havin’ to push somethin’ the size of a small watermelon out of my-”

            “Racer, c’mon! We don’t need the whole picture,” Jack snapped.

            “Sorry, Cowboy,” Race said blandly. “But if I’s gotta have the baby, Italian names get precedent.”

            “That’s not fair,” Spot said. “It ain’t like I could do it even if I wanted to.” Jack looked over at Spot. “Shuddup, it sounded less weird in my head.”

            “I’m havin’ the baby, baby gets Italian first name. Your last name comes first,” Race pointed out.

            “Oh for cryin’ out loud! We both agreed ta that since it was first in the alphabet.”

            “Either way,” Race shrugged. “Italian first name.”

            “Fuckin’ fine,” Spot muttered.

            “Well, at least that’s settled,” Davey said diplomatically.

            “So what names’re you thinkin’?” Jack asked.

            “Marco, Luca, Pietro, Manuel, Giovanni…”

            “Not Giovanni,” Spot said firmly. “And maybe not Manuel. It sounds so… old.”

            “What about middle names?” Davey asked.

            “Colin, Luke, maybe Finn.”

            “Those sound really good, guys,” Davey said. “Cute.”

            “We’ll figure it out bette’ when we actually got the baby in our arms. Ma said she always had a short list, but had to pick when she saw us. Said she just knew.” Race picked at his nails.

…..

            Jack smiled as he watched as Benjy darted in to grab his dance bag. “Hey, hey, champ,” Jack said and crouched down. “C’mere and gimme a kiss before you head upstairs.”

            “Sorry, Dad,” Benjy said and got on his toes to give Jack a quick kiss.

            “Be good,” Jack said and gave Benjy a pat on the butt. Benjy grinned and headed upstairs to Race’s studio.

            The twins came barreling in next with a harried Davey trailing after them.

            “Hey,” Jack said and caught them in hugs. He pressed smacking kisses to their cheeks before standing and pulling Davey in for a quick kiss. “They behave?”

            “They’ve just got a lot of energy this afternoon, that’s all,” Davey said and kissed the end of Jack’s nose.

            “Hope they’ve not been drivin’ ya up the wall,” Jack said and shot his kiddos a look. They grinned at him innocently but Jack just wrinkled up his nose at them.

            “Takes a little more than that to drive me up the wall,” Davey said. “Don’t worry so much.”

            “I only worry ‘cause we’re about to add another one to the mix,” Jack said.

            “You worry too much,” Davey countered and gave Jack a stern look.

            “Maybe,” Jack said.

            “You’ve got experience and I learn quick. It will be fine,” Davey said and gave Jack a smile that made the knot in his stomach uncurl. “Besides, maybe Race and Spot will let us practice on their baby.”

            Jack laughed at that and shook his head. “I doubt it.”

            “It was worth a shot.”

…..

            “Watch it!” Jack laughed as the kids carried over the paint bucket that he needed. Race and Spot had asked for his help to paint the nursery in their apartment. Spot had already painted the walls a soft yellow, but they’d wanted to have some trees painted on the walls. Jack had offered to do it, so there he was sitting on some plastic while he carefully free-handed some trees onto the wall.

            “You know, I’ve never actually seen you paint anything.” Jack turned to see Davey leaning against the doorway.

            “I usually don’t have the time,” Jack said. “I don’t draw or paint too much since I was outta school.”

            “You’re really good,” Davey said and looked at the trees that Jack had already finished.

            “Take it easy, it’s a bunch of trees,” Jack murmured, feeling his ears burn at the way Davey was looking between him and his work.

            “They’re really good, Jack. Don’t sell yourself short.”

            “Davey’s right, Dad,” Benjy said from where he was looking around the nursery curiously even though it was empty of all the baby furniture. “You’re a real good draw-er.”

            “Artist, not draw-er,” Davey said and wrinkled his nose.

            “That too,” Benjy said with a grin.

            “Get outta here,” Jack said and shoved at his son’s shoulder. “Go and see if you can help your uncles.”

            “Do I have to?” Benjy whined.

            “Yeah, ya do.” Jack gave him a look. “And have your brothe’ and siste’ help ‘em too,” Jack said and patted Benjy’s back. Benjy begrudgingly did what he was told.

            “He’s getting better,” Davey said, sensing Jack’s worry before Jack had even said a word.

            “Yeah, he is.” Jack pushed hand through his hair and turned back to his trees.

            “Not that we’re anywhere near it yet,” Davey said and rubbed Jack’s shoulder, “but have you thought about turning the guest room into a nursery?” Davey asked and then smoothed Jack’s hair down.

            “I’ve thought about it,” Jack said with a smile. “I may have some design ideas.”

            Davey laughed and leaned over to press a kiss to Jack’s head. He pulled away with a grimace. “You have paint in your hair, Jackie.”

            “Shit.”

…..

            Jack groaned and fumbled for his phone. It was ringing and Jack answered it before he even looked at who it was. He doubted anyone who he didn’t know was calling him at three in the morning.

            “Hello?” Jack asked, his voice thick with sleep.

            “Hey, Cowboy,” Race said and he sounded panicked which had Jack’s brain waking up quickly.

            “Racer, what’s goin’ on?” Jack asked. “You know what time it is?”

            “Yeah, I’m real sorry, but- uh- well I need ya to take me to the hospital,” Race said.

            “Are you okay?” Jack asked as he got out of bed and moved to start pulling clothes on.

            “I think so,” Race said and Jack had never heard Race’s voice sound so small. “I keep gettin’ real bad pains in my stomach.”

            “Where’s Spot? You’s probably in labor,” Jack asked as he grabbed a shirt and pulled it on.

            “He picked up anothe’ shift at the hospital tonight ‘cuz-” Race suddenly cut off and Jack felt panic rip through him.

            “Racer? Hey, ya still wit’ me?”

            “Yup, I’m alright,” Race said but his voice sounded small and strained.

            “I’ll be right over, alright?” Jack said, making sure to keep his voice even and calm.

            “Okay.”

            Jack shoved his phone into his pocket. He turned around to see Davey sitting up in bed, but still looking asleep. “Hey,” Jack said and kissed Davey swiftly. “I gotta go. I’ll text you when I get Race to the hospital.”

            “Everything okay?” Davey asked and rubbed his eyes.

            “We’re about to find out,” Jack said. “Keep an eye on the kiddos for me.” Jack shoved his feet into his shoes and didn’t even bother tying them as he rushed to get his keys and get out the door.

…..

            Jack paced and chewed his thumb nail as he waited for the nurse to come back. She walked in and Jack turned to her. “Has anyone gotten ahold o’ Race- I mean Anthony’s husband?”

            “We’re working on it,” the nurse said calmly. Jack nodded and he pulled out his phone to send a text to Davey and then Spot.

_To: Hot For Teacher <3_

_He’s alright. He’s five centimeters and counting. No sign of Spot yet._

_To: Spottie-Dog_

_Your damn kid is gonna be born without you if you don’t get your ass here._

            “Jack?” Race asked and Jack moved over to stand next to his bed.

            “What’s up, kid?” Jack asked and pushed Race’s hair away from his eyes gently.

            “Where’s your idiot brother?” Race asked and gave a weak laugh. He looked exhausted.

            “He’s on his way,” Jack assured. “Can I get you anythin’? You want me to call your Ma, or your sisters?”

            “Dear God, no!” Race said and shook his head. “I don’t want any of them here until after the kid’s here.”

            “Got it,” Jack said. “Anythin’ else?”

            “Somethin’ to cool me off. I feel like ‘m dyin’, Jack.” Race grimaced as he swiped the sweat off his forehead.

            “I’m on it.” Jack went over to the bathroom to get a paper towel to wet with cool water to set on Race’s forehead. He came back with it and Race seemed to relax a little when the cool water touched his skin.

            “That’s my husband, I’m goin’ in.” Jack grinned as he heard Spot’s voice and then Spot was inside the room looking like he was ready to commit murder. He softened the second his eyes landed on Race and he made a soft, comforting sound as he moved to Race’s bedside and kissed his temple. “Tony,” He murmured and smoothed Race’s hair back.

            “I’m alright,” Race said and slipped his hand into Spot’s.

            “Yeah, okay,” Spot said and immediately reached for Race’s chart so he could look it over. He hummed and nodded. “Okay…” he said in thought. “Everything seems pretty normal.”

            “Wow, it’s almost like I said that to ya,” Race snorted.

            “You gonna be alright if I get a cup o’ coffee and call Davey?” Jack asked. He could tell Spot was a wreck and Race was getting pretty tired.

            “Yeah,” Race said and his eyes were shut. “Go ahead.”

            “Be right back, kiddo.” Jack slipped out and called Davey’s cell.

            “Everything okay?” Davey asked the second he picked up the phone.

            “Yeah,” Jack said as he walked down the hall to snag an elevator to go down to the cafeteria. “Race’s pretty tired, and Spot’s here finally, so everythin’s okay so far.”

            “That’s good,” Davey said.

            “How’s everythin’ there?”

            “The kids are all hyped up about meeting their cousin soon so there’s that,” Davey laughed. “You wanna talk to them?”

            “Yeah, if they’re not too sleepy,” Jack said and checked his watch, it was a little after seven on a Sunday morning.

            “They’re not, trust me,” Davey said. “Here’s Atticus.”

            “Is the baby here yet?” Atticus asked and Jack had to bite back a snort.

            “Not yet, bud. And he probably won’t be for another coupla hours,” Jack said. “You gotta be patient.”

            “Fine,” Atticus said. “Tell Uncle Race I hope he has a good baby.”

            “I will.”

            “Here’s Lilabet.”

            “Hey, Daddy. When will the baby get here?”

            “Not for another coupla hours,” Jack repeated patiently.

            “Okay. Tell Uncle Race and Uncle Spot I said ‘hi’.”

            “I will, sweetpea,” Jack said.

            There was a scuffle on the other end of the line and then Davey was back on. “Benjy doesn’t seem keen on talking so…”

            “Yeah, it’s alright,” Jack said and took a sip of his disgusting hospital coffee.

            “Keep me updated, okay?” Davey asked.

            “I will, but he might want me to leave now that Spot’s here. We’ll just have to see.” Jack shifted is grip on the phone as he walked back.

            “Either way,” Davey said.

            “I love you. Gotta go,” he said and Davey hummed.

            “Love you too. See you when you get back.”

            Jack hung up after they said goodbye. He knocked before he stepped into the room. There was a nurse talking to Spot quietly and Jack frowned but moved to Race’s side. “Everythin’ alright, kiddo?”

            “Yeah, ‘cept my labor stalled,” Race said. Jack frowned.

            “They know why?” Jack asked.

            “They figure it’s just the stress,” Race said. “We’re gonna try takin’ a walk and seein’ what happens.”

            “Good idea, and if that don’t work, you can try takin’ a quick shower. I’ve heard that works too.”

            “I’m glad one of us knows what the hell he’s doin’,” Race said.

            “I’ve done this twice, so,” Jack said.

            “Jack, I know you’s gotta be tired, but can you stay?” Race asked and held onto Jack’s wrist. “Like ya said, you know what you’s doin’ ‘cuz you’s done it already.”

            “I’ll stay, Racer. Of course I will.” Jack grinned at him. “Can’t leave my brother when he needs me.” They grinned at each other and Race let himself relax into the bed. But he didn’t get to relax for long.

            “C’mon, Tony,” Spot said and he walked over to Race’s side. “Let’s get you outta that bed and walkin’.”

            “Alright,” Race whined. Jack and Spot helped him out of bed and Race stood on tired legs.

            “You gonna make it, Racer?” Jack teased.

            “Yeah, ‘m alright. Hey, Spot, you mind goin’ downstairs and gettin’ me something to drink?”

            “Yeah, sure thing,” Spot said and kissed Race’s sweaty temple before he darted out of the room.

            “You know you ain’t allowed to have anythin’ to drink,” Jack said as they slowly shuffled toward the door so they could walk the hall.

            “Yeah, but apparently Spot don’t,” Race laughed and then leaned his head into Jack’s shoulder as they slowly made their way along. On occasion they had to stop and Race had to breathe through a contraction.

            “Why did you want Spot to take a walk?” Jack asked and rubbed Race’s back.

            “He’s gonna smother me, Jack. I dunno how long we’s  gonna be here, but if it’s gonna be a long time, I’ll kill ‘im before the baby gets here,” Race laughed but it was pained and short.

            “He cares. Give ‘im that, okay?” Jack urged Race on a little more and they shuffled back in the direction of Race’s room. “He’s tryin’.”

            “I know,” Race whined. “I love ‘im but sometimes I hate ‘im.”

            “Join the club,” Jack said.

…..

            Jack winced as he heard Race nearly crying as a contraction hit him, and he was almost thankful when his phone rang. He stepped out into the hall and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Hey, Dave.”

            “How’s Race?”

            Jack opened his mouth and winced again at one of Race’s pained cries. “He’s okay. In quite a bit of pain, labor’s not stalled anymore though.”

            “Okay,” Davey said. “Give him my best.”

            “I’ll keep you updated.”

            Jack hung up the phone and headed back inside. Race was slumped in bed and Spot was gnawing his lip and wiping the sweat off of Race’s forehead.

            “Not much longer, Race,” Spot said quietly and Race groaned.

            “I’m too tired, Spot. I can’t.”

            “You can,” Jack said and stood on Race’s other side.

            “I can’t,” Race insisted.

            “You can and you’re going to,” Jack said with a stern look.

            “You’re the strongest little fucker I’s ever met, Tony Higgins,” Spot said with a laugh. “Havin’ a baby ain’t nothin’ that’s gonna stop you.”

            “Okay, alright,” Race laughed weakly and wiped at his face. “You’s’re gettin’ mushy in our old age.”

            “Shuddup,” Jack said. “We ain’t quite old yet.”

            “Are we ready to have a baby?” They all three looked over to see the doctor coming in.

            “Are we, Racer?” Jack asked and smoothed Race’s hair back.

            “Yeah,” Race said and his face hardened with determination.

…..

            “So what’re we naming this little guy?” Davey asked. After the baby had been born and everything was settled down, Davey had brought the kids to meet their new little cousin.

            Spot looked at Race with a grin.

            “This little man is Mateo Finn Conlon-Higgins,” Race said softly and gently tapped his son’s little nose.

            “Hey, Mateo,” Davey said and smiled down at him. “He’s perfect, Race. Really.”

            “Yeah, he is, isn’t he?” Race asked and shifted Mateo in his arms gently.

            “Can I hold the baby? Can I hold Mateo?” Atticus asked.

            “Ooh, me too!” Lilabet said and bounced on her feet.

            “Yeah,” Race said. “Spot, you wanna help me out?”

            “Got it,” Spot said and he settled the twins on the chair that he pulled up beside the bed. “You have to promise to be gentle,” Spot said seriously and they both nodded, crossing their hearts. Spot turned and gently took Mateo from Race’s arms. “You have to be careful of his head. I’m gonna hand him over to Lilabet and then Atticus you’ll get your turn.”

            The boy nodded solemnly and watched as Mateo was settled into Lilabet’s arms.

            “He’s so _warm_ ,” Lilabet giggled as Spot gently shifted her hands to support the baby’s head.

            “Babies are warm,” Spot said with a wide smile.

            Jack turned to see Benjy walking out of the room and Jack set a hand on Davey’s shoulder before he followed after his son. He thought he’d have to sprint down the hall to catch up with Benjy, but Benjy was just sitting with his back against the wall and staring at his sneakers.

            “Hey,” Jack said and sat down next to his son.

            “Hi,” Benjy said quietly and picked at the cuff of his jeans.

            “You wanna talk about it? Or do you wanna just sit out here for a while?” Jack asked. “’Cuz Uncle Race is gonna want to see you. Because he loves you.”

            “Can I just sit?” Benjy asked.

            “Sure thing.”

            So Jack sat with him until Benjy got up and wanted to head back inside. Race smiled and patted the spot next to him on the bed and Benjy climbed up and leaned into his uncle’s shoulder.

            “You wanna hold your nephew, Jack?” Spot asked.

            “Yeah, I would,” Jack said and he easily took Mateo from Spot’s arms. He grinned as Mateo made soft snuffling noises and turned his face into Jack’s chest. “Look at ya,” Jack said softly. “All that fuss over lil’ ol’ you.” Jack sniffed and felt tears pricking at his eyes.

            “Are you cryin’, Jack?” Race asked with a light laugh.

            “No,” Jack protested but he was lying. “Gimme a break, it’s been a while since I’s been around a baby, okay?”

            “Won’t be too long and you’ll be holdin’ anothe’ o’ your own,” Spot said.

            “I know,” Jack said and rocked Mateo a little when he started to fuss. Jack felt something warm and soft settle in his chest. He had his first nephew and soon he’d have another little one of his own. He felt content and even after he, Davey and the kids left the hospital, it stuck in his chest and made him feel pretty damn good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now you've finally met little Mateo! I've been so excited to reveal our little man for a while. Hope y'all like the addition to our little family :) And now that I'm done with finals I should be able to devote some time to this story! (though it doesn't have much left I gotta tell you)  
> -James


	22. Chapter 22

                Race paced and rocked Mateo as he tried to get his son to stop screaming. Mateo had been pretty fussy nearly all the time when he was awake. Race seemed exhausted and Jack had to restrain himself against trying to intervene.

            “Everythin’ okay?” Jack asked over the sound of Mateo crying.

            “He’s just fussy,” Race said and seemed resigned to the sound of the screaming. “He always gets like this when we try to put him down to sleep or when we try to feed him.”

            “You wanna tap out for a second?” Jack asked. “I can take ‘im for a second. Let you get in a nap real quick.”

            Race looked at Mateo and then at Jack. “Uh… yeah, okay,” Race said and he went over to Jack’s desk and gently transferred the screaming baby into Jack’s arms. “You sure you can handle ‘im?”

            “Get some sleep, Racer. Or you’ll never be able to focus on your class. I got a pretty big break,” Jack reassured him as he gently rocked Mateo against his chest.

            “Alright, yeah. I’ll be back for ‘im in a minute,” Race said tiredly. He headed out, presumably to his office upstairs in the studio.

            “It’s just you and me now, Mateo,” Jack said and he moved to where Race had left the diaper bag. He held onto Mateo securely before he reached into the bag and pulled out a blanket. “We’re gonna try somethin’,” Jack said to the baby, just talking at a normal volume despite the crying. “I think you’ll like it.”

            Jack laid out the blanket and laid Mateo on it. He swaddled Mateo securely and then picked the boy back up, still crying intensely, and gently started to walk around the room with Mateo’s head pillowed on his shoulder. He started shushing Mateo as he walked.

            Slowly but surely, Mateo’s cries started to die down. Jack grinned as he shushed Mateo, incrementally lowering his volume until Mateo was snuffling softly against Jack’s shoulder. Jack grinned and kept up walking his circuit around his office until Mateo was deep asleep. Jack moved to sit down at his desk, Mateo still cradled to his chest, and started flipping through his outline for his lesson plan for the next month.

            That’s how Race found them after about two hours.

            “How’d you do that?” Race asked and nodded to where Mateo was sleeping on Jack’s chest.

            “Swaddlin’ and shushin’,” Jack said. “I think Mateo may have colic.” Race nodded slowly. “I took a guess and it couldn’t hurt.”

            “Yeah, thanks,” Race said and moved over to gently take Mateo from Jack’s arms.

            “I’m surprised that Spot didn’t notice. Everythin’ okay?”

            “Spot’s not home at night,” Race said tensely. “He didn’t take paternity leave. Said he couldn’t, that it would disrupt his patients’ routines.”

            “I’m sure he’s got ‘is reasons,” Jack said diplomatically.

            “For missing his son’s first weeks of life?” Race asked snappishly.

            “Talk to _him_ , Racer. I dunno,” Jack said.

            Race just nodded as he grabbed Mateo’s diaper bag. “I’ll see ya later, Cowboy.”

            “Yeah,” Jack nodded.

…..

            “You look stressed,” Medda said as Jack frantically flipped through case files and his own baby research.

            “Understatement,” Jack said distractedly. “What’s up, Mama?”

            “Do you know what time it is?” Medda asked with a raised eyebrow.

            “Is that a trick question?”

            “I was about to lock up thinking no one was here. It’s nearly nine, Jack,” Medda said and Jack’s eyes widened.

            “Oh God,” he muttered and started shoving his stuff into his bag. “Davey’s gonna kill me. I can’t believe I lost track o’ time like that.”

            “Just get home,” Medda said and Jack sprinted out the door.

            He was fidgety the whole drive back and he was practically chewing a hole through his lip as he unlocked the door and went inside.

            “Where have you been?” Davey hissed quietly.

            “I’m so sorry, Dave. I just… I got caught up at work- my mind was- I’m so sorry,” Jack said and kissed Davey’s cheek.

            “Go upstairs and apologize to your children. They were scared to death,” Davey said sternly.

            “On my way up now,” Jack said and tossed his bag onto the couch so he could head up to the kids’ bedrooms. Benjy was sitting in the twins’ room between their beds.

            “Daddy!” Atticus shouted and he sprinted out of bed to cling onto Jack’s leg.

            “Hey, Bud. I’m so sorry.” Jack scooped him up and pressed a kiss to his temple.

            “Why weren’t you home?” Benjy asked, his voice wobbling and watery.

            “I’m so sorry, Benjy,” Jack said and held out his free arm. Benjy scrambled up and buried his face in Jack’s side. “I got distracted at work and I just lost track o’ time. I didn’t mean to scare ya.” He kissed Benjy’s head and smoothed his hair. “Alright, now I’m home, you all need to be in bed.” He looked at where Lilabet was glaring at him on her bed. “Benjy go put your pajamas on while I get the twins tucked in. I’ll be right there.”

            Benjy nodded and went to do as he was told. When Jack tried to lay Atticus in bed, the boy clung onto Jack’s shirt. “Hey,” Jack said and gently plucked Atticus’s hands from the fabric. “It’s okay. I’m right here.” Jack kissed Atticus’s forehead and tucked him in. “I’m sorry.” Jack soothed as he smoothed Atticus’s messy hair from his face.

            Once Atticus was settled, as much as he could be with how shaken up he looked, Jack moved to sit on the edge of Lilabet’s bet.

            “I’m sorry, sweetpea. I didn’t mean to make ya worry. I just… I was silly, and I messed up,” He said and moved to tuck her hair behind her ear.

            “How could you forget about us?” She asked quietly, her bottom lip trembling.

            “I didn’t forget ya, I just…” Jack wasn’t sure what to say. “I was silly. Now get some sleep. I promise I ain’t goin’ nowhere. I’m gonna be downstairs with Davey in our room after I put Benjy to bed.”

            “Okay,” she said quietly and let Jack tuck her in. He gave her a kiss on the forehead before he turned off their light and headed across the hall to Benjy’s room.

            Benjy was sitting on his bed in his pajamas. “Hey, B,” Jack said.

            “I’m tired,” Benjy said brusquely and moved to get into bed.

            “Okay,” Jack said and tucked Benjy in. He bent to give Benjy a kiss on the cheek but Benjy just scooted away from him. It hurt, but Jack didn’t push him. “I love you, B. I’ll see ya in the mornin’.”

            “Okay.”

            Jack turned off Benjy’s light and headed downstairs. Davey was sitting at the table with a mug of tea and nodded to the chair closest to him. Jack bit his lip and sat down in the chair. “I screwed up,” Jack said.

            “Yeah, you did.”

            “I’m sorry, Davey,” Jack said and raked a hand through his hair. “I just… I was tryin’ to juggle readin’ files, creatin’ lessons, and all this baby stuff that you and Sarah keep sendin’ me- I lost track of time.”

            “You know I love these kids as if they were mine,” Davey said seriously, “but what if they hadn’t thought to come to my room when you didn’t come get them? What if I had accidentally left them at school, Jack?”

            “I’m sorry,” Jack said quietly.

            “Stop _saying_ that,” Davey said and he rubbed at his temples. “What’re we going to do when the baby gets here, Jack? Hm? What if something like this happens with the baby?”

            “It won’t,” Jack swore. “I ain’t never done nothin’ like this and I won’t ever do it again, Davey.”

            They stared at each other for a long time.

            “I just don’t understand how you could forget, Jack.”

            “Because I rely on you, Davey!” Jack’s voice cracked. “Because I know that if I screw up you’re gonna be there to help me.”

            Davey bit his lip and Jack frowned at seeing tears in Davey’s eyes.

            “Davey, I know you’re upset, but that ain’t it. You ain’t this upset over me forgettin’. What’s wrong?” Jack reached out and slipped his hand into Davey’s.

            “It’s stupid,” Davey said quietly.

            “Not to me.”

            “Les called me today,” Davey said and his shoulders slumped.

            “What’d he say?” Jack asked.

            “I wanted to know if I could come and see _Ima_ and _Abba_ ,” Davey said, “just to talk to them. I haven’t-we haven’t since…” Davey bit his lip.

            “What’d they say?” Jack asked softly, brushing his thumb over Davey’s knuckles.

            “He said they won’t see me,” Davey said brokenly and ducked his head. “Sarah’s already reconciled with them but they won’t see me, Jack. They won’t even return my phone calls.”

            “Davey, baby,” Jack said and he stood so he could wrap his arms around Davey and rub his back soothingly.

            “It’s so stupid,” Davey said as he took a shaky breath, “that they won’t talk to me. All I wanted was a family, and they’re angry at me for it.”

            “I know,” Jack said and he kissed the top of Davey’s head. “But they’ll come around. They love you, and they want what’s best for you.” Davey nodded but he still seemed upset. “C’mon. We’s both exhausted, let’s get ya to bed.”

…..

            Jack scrolled through Davey’s phone and jotted down the number he needed when he found it. He grabbed the landline and then headed to the bathroom to make his call.

            His stomach was twisting into intricate knots but he knew he had to do this.

            “Hello?”

            “Hello, Mrs. Jacobs. This is Jack Kelly, Davey’s boyfriend. I wanted to talk to you,” Jack said and made sure to keep his voice level and calm.

            “I’m not sure I have anything to say to you, young man,” Ester said coolly.

            “Then just listen,” Jack said. He took a breath. “Honestly, I don’t know what you and your husband’s problem is wit’ Sarah havin’ me and Davey’s baby, and honestly, I don’t care. I love your son, and he wants this more than anythin’ in the world. He wants a family and this was the closest thing he could have to havin’ a baby wit’ me. So if you wanna be mad at anyone, be mad at me because I said yes, but talk to your son. It’s killin’ ‘im to think you don’t want nothin’ to do wit’ ‘im or the family he’s tryin’ to create.”

            There was a long silence.

            “We’ll think about it.”

            There was a click and then the line went dead.

            Jack hung up the line and scowled at the phone for a long moment. There was a knock on the door and Jack shoved the phone into his pocket. He opened the door and gave Davey a smile.

            “What’re you doing?”

            “Nothin’. Don’t worry ‘bout it.” Jack kissed Davey and skirted around him to head to the kitchen to hang up the phone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter this time. I've got to skip some time to keep this moving along since I'm gonna wrap this at 25 chapters. I just have so many other ideas I wanna work on and I've finally thought up an ending! Hope y'all like and comment and tell me what you think!  
> -James


	23. Chapter 23

-Four Months Later-

            Jack tried to flatten out the directions again and squinted at the crumpled pieces of paper. “You sure you don’t want any help, Jack?” Jack waved Davey off from his place on the floor.

            “I’ve done this four times now, I’mma pro,” Jack smirked. He gave Davey a wink and Davey rolled his eyes fondly before he went back to arranging the glow-in-the-dark star stickers. Jack turned back to his directions.

            He and Davey had decided that since Kath had offered to take the kids for the weekend that they’d actually set up the nursery. They’d had all the pieces but they hadn’t had the time to actually do anything with them other than Jack painted the one wall midnight blue. The rest of the walls were to be left the soft off-white they’d been before. Davey had seen a picture of a nursery on Pinterest, which he spent too much time on, and both of them had loved the idea, but it would take time to put together. Hence why they needed to rush to get it done now since it was only about five weeks until the baby arrived.

            They’d both been too busy. With Jack making sure not to slip with anything with the kids. He took Benjy to his dance classes, he took Atticus and Lilabet to their tutoring once a week, and he had to make sure that they all did their homework, ate, bathed, and went to sleep at a decent time. On top of that, Jack was having to make time for Sarah’s doctor appointments.

            Jack was starting to fray a little.

            And the crib being so damn complicated wasn’t helping anything.

            Jack felt his temper bubbling and he finally threw down the boards he was trying to screw together. “ _Fuck_ this!” Jack shouted and angrily kicked the pile of wood that would eventually become the baby’s crib. He felt angry tears pricking at his eyes.

            “Jack,” Davey said cautiously. “It’s alright.”

            “No it’s not!” Jack shouted and turned to face him. “I hate this crib!” Jack pushed his hair from his face angrily and sent a resentful kick at the stupid thing.

            Davey let Jack pace like a caged animal and just clung onto the sheet of stickers. “You’re not really mad about the crib, are you?”

            Jack felt his shoulders slump and the tears were threatening to start streaking down his cheeks. “I don’t know, Davey.”

            “Come here,” Davey said and held out his arms.

            “I don’t wanna.”

            “You do, you just don’t want to admit it,” Davey said and walked over to pull Jack into a hug. “Now tell me what’s actually bothering you.”

            And that’s what broke Jack. He started crying into Davey’s chest so hard that he started to choke on his breath. He clung onto the back of Davey’s sweater and just let himself cry.

            After a moment he took a shuddering breath. “I’m sorry, Dave. I just… I dunno what came over me,” Jack said quietly.

            “It’s okay. What am I supposed to be here for if not this?” Davey asked with a small smile. He kissed Jack’s forehead and pushed Jack’s hair away from his face.

            “I just feel like there’s so much,” Jack said. “So much pressure and so much to keep track of.” Jack looked up at Davey and sniffed. “I don’t wanna screw up, Davey. I can’t.”

            “You won’t,” Davey said and he kissed Jack softly. “And if it’s too much, if you need a break, I’ll be here. I promise.”

            Jack sucked in a shaky breath and nodded after a moment’s hesitation. “I don’t wanna put the kids on you like that.”

            “Jackie, they’re my kids too,” Davey said. “I don’t want you to think that I don’t want to help you. We’re in this together.”

            “Yeah?”

            “Of course. Now take these stickers and I’ll worry about the crib.”

…..

            Jack’s leg jumped impatiently as he they waited for the nurse to find the right angle of the baby. Davey set his hand on Jack’s restlessly bouncing knee but Jack didn’t cease his nervous motion. He did when Davey slapped his thigh and gave him a look. “Sorry,” Jack mumbled and Sarah laughed at him lightly.

            “Let him be nervous, _David_ ,” Sarah said her voice soothingly gentle.

            “He can be nervous and be still,” Davey said and rubbed his hand over Jack’s leg consolingly.

            The nurse smiled at them all before she printed the photos and the forms she’d been filling in before nodding. “I’ll be right back with the doctor so she can talk with you.” That wasn’t anything out of the ordinary so Jack and Davey just thanked her and she left, tucking the papers into Sarah’s file.

            “Afternoon,” the doctor said as she walked in, looking over Sarah’s paperwork. “Alright, so there’s a little complication.” She looked at the three of them seriously. “The baby is breech. This little one is a complete breech position so the baby’s little bum is sitting down where the head should be.”

            Jack nodded and he clutched onto Davey’s hand. “So what should we do?”

            “Well since you’ve still got a little bit until the due date, I would recommend some stretches to try and turn the baby the right way around,” the doctor said. “I can get you a pamphlet with the stretches and some other ideas if that doesn’t work.”

            “If the baby doesn’t turn, what does that mean for delivery?” Sarah asked.

            “It might just mean a C-section over a vaginal birth,” the doctor said, “but I’m sure you’ll be able to get this baby the right way around. Most babies that are breech like this, even this late in a pregnancy, can be turned before delivery. The less you stress about it though, the better.”

            Sarah and Davey nodded, but Jack just felt his stomach in his throat and didn’t move.

            “I’ll see you in two weeks then to check and make sure the baby has turned before delivery. If not, we’ll talk about some options.”

            “Thank you,” Sarah said and smiled at the doctor. “See you in two weeks.”

            They walked out and got Sarah’s appointment set up with the receptionist.

            “You alright, Jack?” Sarah asked and looped her arm through his.

            “Yeah, just don’t want nothin’ to go wrong,” Jack said and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

            “You heard the doctor, everything will be fine.” Sarah pressed a kiss to his cheek and showed him the pamphlets the doctor gave her. “You can help me with some of these since I’m coming over to check out the nursery anyway. Will that make you feel better?”

            “Yeah,” Jack said and relaxed a little.

            “Then that’s what we’ll do. Now show me where the baby will be sleeping.” She squeezed his arm and gave him a big smile.

…..

            “So it’s not finished yet,” Davey warned as he led his sister down the hall, holding both her hands in his.

            “I’ll take it as a work in progress,” Sarah promised.

            “Good, ‘cause the crib is up but we ain’t put up the mobile or any of the pictures that we wanna hang up,” Jack said. He felt nervous showing the baby’s room to Sarah. It was almost like he expected her to take the baby away from them if she didn’t like the room, which was absolutely absurd.

            “Jack, I’m sure it’s perfect,” Sarah said.

            “Alright, close your eyes,” Davey said once they were in front of the door. He got behind her and covered her eyes. Jack opened the door and together they lead Sarah inside. They waited until they’d gotten Sarah into the middle of the room before Davey uncovered her eyes.

            “Whattya think?” Jack asked, shoving his hands into his pockets. Sarah looked around with a smile on her face. Jack grinned as well but he was shocked when Sarah started crying, her hands flying up to cover her mouth. “Sarah,” Jack said and rushed over to her side. “What’s wrong?”

            “Nothing, Jack,” Sarah said through her tears while Davey rubbed her back. “It’s just so perfect and I love it.” She laughed. “All these stupid pregnancy hormones.” She shook her head at herself as she wiped her eyes. “Yesterday I started crying at a video of a puppy that Kitty showed me. It was ridiculous.”

            “I’m glad ya like it,” Jack said, feeling more at ease now.

            “I love it,” Sarah said.

            “Good,” Davey said and he looked relieved. “Now let’s try and get that baby of ours turned around.”

…..

            Jack frowned as he held onto Sarah’s hips so she didn’t fall. She was doing a handstand on the floor with her feet on the couch. It didn’t look safe at all.

            “Do ya think it’s workin’?” Jack asked and Sarah just hummed.

            “I don’t know,” she said.

            “It’s saying you might not be able to feel the baby turning,” Davey said from where he was tapping away at his computer, trying to figure everything out.

            Sarah groaned and finally shook her head. “Help me up.”

            Jack moved to help her and she scowled, her face red from being practically upside down.

            “That sucked,” she said and pressed a hand to her baby bump. She glared down at it. “You’re a menace you know that?” Sarah asked and tapped her finger.

            “Hey now,” Jack said sternly. “That ain’t no way to talk to our little ‘un.”

            Sarah snorted. “It’s your baby, that’s how I _know_.” Sarah smiled at him and then patted his arm.

            Jack grinned back at her. “You want somethin’ to drink?” Jack asked and turned to the kitchen. It was then he noted the look on Davey’s face. It was a mix of hurt and trying to keep his face neutral.

            “Water, please.” Sarah’s reply broke Jack out of his thoughts and it seemed to do the same for Davey because he went back to his laptop.

            “Yeah,” Jack said distractedly and he moved to get Sarah a glass of water.

            They all talked with each other until Katherine walked in, the kids all but falling over themselves to get inside. They were laughing and they instantly brightened up the room for Jack.

            Benjy came over and, surprisingly, crawled into Jack’s lap. Jack kissed the top of his son’s head and just let him sit, knowing that for whatever reason Benjy needed this. Lilabet was hovering around Sarah and asking questions about the baby.

            “Is it a boy or a girl?” Lilabet asked. “Because all I have is brothers.” She rolled her eyes at that and Sarah laughed.

            “Well, French Fry, your dads don’t wanna know and I didn’t want to accidentally let it slip, so I don’t know either.”

            “They’re no fun,” Lilabet sighed dramatically and Katherine snorted.

            Jack shrugged. “I didn’t know when Mama had any of yous, and Davey didn’t wanna know. Sorry, sweetpea, but you’s just gonna have to be patient.”

            “I don’t have any patience,” Lilabet said, completely deadpan.

            Sarah sucked in a breath and Jack, Katherine, and Davey all turned to look at her with concern. Sarah just laughed and waved her hand. “Just a kick, it’s fine,” she said and covered Katherine’s hand where it now rested on her shoulder. Sarah gestured for Jack and Davey to move closer. “You should feel. It’s weird, but cool.”

            Jack shifted his chair closer, mindful not to jostle Benjy around too much, and let Sarah guide his hand to the spot. Jack grinned when he felt the baby kicking and then he took his hand away so that Sarah could show Davey. Jack watched Davey’s face light up.

            Benjy shifted and Jack loosened his grip when Benjy started to slide off of Jack’s lap. He walked over to Sarah curiously and the adults all watched him.

            “Can I feel, Ima Sarah?” Benjy asked quietly.

            “Of course, Benjy,” Sarah said and she took his little hand and placed it over the spot on her stomach where the baby’s feet could be felt. Benjy’s still and quiet but he has a small smile on his face that makes Jack smile too.

            “That’s the baby?” Benjy asks.

            “It is.”

            “Wow,” Benjy whispers softly and his smile grows a little.

…..

            Jack tapped his finger on the counter and watched Davey as Davey scrubbed at the dishes. He had been quiet after Sarah and Katherine left. Something was off.

            “You alright, Dave?” Jack asked and moved to lean his hip against the corner of the sink.

            “Yeah, of course,” Davey said but he wasn’t looking at Jack.

            “Really? ‘Cuz ya looked upset earlier,” Jack said. “If somethin’s botherin’ you…”

            “It’s not, Jack,” Davey said shortly and set down the plate in his hand with more force than was strictly necessary.

            “C’mon, Davey,” Jack said and he moved to touch Davey’s arm.

            “Fine,” Davey said and he brushed his hands off on his jeans. “I’m not sure how I felt about you having your hands all over my sister today. Okay?”

            That wasn’t what Jack was expecting. He blinked for a moment. “What?”

            “This is why I didn’t want to talk about it,” Davey said and he moved to wipe down the counter.

            “Dave,” Jack said wanting Davey to look at him. “Davey,” Jack said when Davey resolutely stared at a stain on the countertop. “ _David_ ,” Jack tried softly and Davey’s shoulders slumped and he turned to look at Jack. “Talk to me.”

            “It was just weird,” Davey said. “I guess I just-” Davey growls in frustration before he closes his eyes and takes a breath. “I know you’re attracted to women too and maybe I just… I was a little jealous?”

            Jack frowned. “Davey, I’m datin’ you. I ain’t lookin’ at no one else ‘cuz I’m wit’ you,” Jack said seriously. He’d had this problem before with other people he’d dated. They assumed just because he was bisexual… Jack doesn’t let himself think on that.

            “I can’t give you what a woman could,” Davey said quietly. “I can’t give you any other kids. I just… I saw you with Sarah and how it just seemed so… I don’t know.” Davey shrugged.

            “You’s right,” Jack said quietly. “You can’t give me what a woman can, but you also can’t give me what any other man could either,” Jack said and he moved to pull Davey into a tight hug. “I love you because of _you_ , and I don’t want no one else.” Jack pulled back and Davey bit his lip. “Now c’mere and gimme a kiss.”

            Davey cracked a smile and it was a soft, chaste kiss.

            “Gross!”

            Jack snorted as he turned to see the kids standing there in their pajamas. Benjy was covering Lilabet and Atticus’s eyes and his nose was scrunched up.

            “Hush, you,” Jack said. “Yous’re supposed to be in bed.”

            “You’ve got to tuck us in!” Atticus protested and pushed Benjy’s hand off his eyes.

            “Alright,” Jack said. “We alright?” Jack asked Davey quietly.

            “Yeah, we’re alright,” Davey said.

            “Alright, munchkins,” Jack said. “Let’s get ya up to bed.”

            “What about Davey?” Benjy asked when they started to walk out, Davey staying behind to finish cleaning up the kitchen.

            “Go on up to your rooms and I’ll get ‘im,” Jack said. Jack headed back into the kitchen. “So the kiddos have spoken, they want you to tuck them in too.”

            Davey grinned and he tossed down the dish towel in his hand. “Alright.”

            They went into Benjy’s room first and Davey read him a story before Jack tucked him in. “I was real proud of you, B. You were gentle with Ima Sarah and the baby and I’m proud of you for it,” Jack said as he pressed a kiss to Benjy’s forehead.

            “I think…” Benjy bit his lip. “I think I might like the baby. Just a little,” he said hurriedly. “But I guess I’ll have to _really_ make up my mind when the baby gets here.”

            “Okay,” Davey said and he smoothed Benjy’s hair back. “I think we can be okay with that.”

            “Yeah,” Jack said and he grinned at Benjy.

            “G’night, Dad, g‘night Davey,” Benjy said around a yawn.

            “Goodnight,” Davey said and he pressed a kiss to the top of Benjy’s head.

            “See ya in the mornin’,” Jack said and smoothed Benjy’s blankets out before they got up and headed to the twins’ room.

            Jack read them a story and Davey tucked Lilabet in while Jack tucked Atticus in.

            “Alright you two, get some sleep,” Davey said and smoothed Lilabet’s hair away from her eyes.

            “Okay,” Lilabet said sleepily.

            Jack and Davey moved to the doorway so that they could turn out the lights.

            “Goodnight,” Jack said quietly.

            “Goodnight, dads,” Lilabet and Atticus said together, both sounding like they were already half-asleep.

            Jack heard Davey suck in a breath beside him.

            It wasn’t until Jack and Davey headed into their bedroom that Davey said anything. “They called me ‘dad’,” Davey said quietly.

            “Yeah, they did,” Jack said, grinning.

            “Wow,” Davey said and he moved to lay down on the bed.

            “You’s their dad as much as Sarah’s their mom,” Jack said and grinned before he settled next to Davey on the bed. “And you’s gonna have anothe’ little ‘un callin’ you ‘dad’ soon.”

            “Yeah, I am,” Davey said and grinned.

            “We should think about names, Davey,” Jack said. “We haven’t really talked about it.”

            “We haven’t,” Davey agreed and he moved to take Jack’s hand in his, fiddling with Jack’s fingers. “Would it bother you if the baby had a Hebrew name?”

            “Not at all,” Jack said.

            “Which do you want to pick for first: boy or girl?”

            “Girl,” Jack said with a grin.

            “Do you want a girl?” Davey asked.

            “I dunno.” Jack shrugged. “I guess it don’t really matter.”

            “Alright so girl names,” Davey said and shifted a little. “Talia?”

            “I like it,” Jack said and smiled. “What else ya got?”

            “Jude?”

            “I like it, even if it ain’t for a girl. A good neutral name,” Jack said.

            “How about Anna?” Davey asked.

            “I like all of ‘em,” Jack said. “But what about namin’ the baby after your mother?”

            “She wouldn’t like that,” Davey said. “My mother’s people don’t name babies after living relatives. It’s… I don’t know. We just don’t do it.”

            “Got it,” Jack said and chewed his lip nervously. “So what about boys?”

            “Ezra is definitely one, Maybe Simon or Kale.”

            Jack just hummed. “We’ll sit down and decide later. Right now though… I just want to get some sleep.”

            “Me too, but there’s one problem,” Davey said.

            “What’s that?”

            “We’re both still fully dressed,” Davey said and then laughed.

            Jack looked down at himself and nodded. He was still in his jeans and t-shirt. He cracked up as well and pushed himself up so that he could strip out of his clothes to go to sleep. Once he and Davey got settled again. Jack let his fingers run over Davey’s back soothingly and he relaxed.

            Things felt like they were in a good place for now.

            For now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gettin' closer guys. Comment your predictions for the Jacobs-Kelly's baby's sex and name (to be revealed in the next chapter!!!)  
> Hint: the whole name is actually pretty long  
> -James


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a long one and there's some smut in it as well

            “It’s not a baby shower,” Jack said and Spot just gave him a skeptical look. “I just wanna have a party before the baby’s born so that we all get to hang out together.”

            “That’s soundin’ an awful lot like a fuckin’ baby shower,” Spot said.

            “Dammit Spot, how many times’ve I gotta remind you: language!” Race snapped and covered Mateo’s ears. Spot gave Race a look and then Race flushed. “You know what I meant.”

            “It’s not a baby shower,” Jack insisted. “A baby shower is when you ask people to help you out wit’ gettin’ baby stuff. We just wanna have a baby party.”

            “Alright, alright,” Spot said. “I assume it’s gonna be Saturday.”

            “Yeah.”

            “We’ll all be there,” Spot said before he took Mateo from Race when Race went to get up.

            “So, how’s it going?” Jack asked and nodded to where Mateo was trying to put Spot’s fingers in his mouth.

            “Fine,” Spot said and gently moved his fingers away from Mateo’s mouth. He bounced Mateo on his knee with a tense smile.

            “You don’t look fine,” Jack said. “You look like you’s cradling a bomb on your knee insteada your son.” Spot seemed to tense up more and Mateo started to fuss. “What’s wrong, Spot?”

            “Nothin’,” Spot said brusquely.

            “Patrick,” Jack said pointedly and Spot deflated a little.

            “I just… I dunno what to do with ‘im,” Spot admitted quietly. “He’s just so small and fragile and I don’t wanna… I don’t wanna be like-” Spot cut himself off my clamping his mouth shut stubbornly but Jack knew exactly what he was going to say.

            “You ain’t gonna be your father,” Jack said.

            “You don’t know that.”

            “Yeah, I do,” Jack said.

            Spot didn’t look wholly convinced but he seemed to relax with Mateo. Then he was tensed up again and Mateo made a disgruntled noise. “What if I screw ‘im up?”

            “You’re his dad, you’re gonna screw ‘im up a little. Don’t worry so much about it,” Jack said.

            Spot looked at him for a long moment. “Okay.”

            “Okay?”

            “Yeah.”

            “Gimme my nephew then,” Jack said and moved over to scoop Mateo up. He pressed a smacking kiss to the boy’s cheek before blowing raspberries into his cheek and neck. Mateo screeched with delight and Jack grinned. “If you just treat Mateo the way you handled Lilabet and Atti then you’ll be golden, Spot.”

            “It was different,” Spot said.

            “How?”

            “I could give them back,” Spot said and laughed wryly.

            “Fair enough,” Jack said and patted Mateo’s back when he started fussing.

…..

            “You really shouldn’t be late to this kind of thing,” Katherine said as Jack stumbled into the waiting room.

            “Yeah, I know,” Jack muttered and pushed his hair from his eyes. “I wasn’t planning on it but I had a small meltdown that I had to defuse.”

            “It’s fine, she’s just tense,” Sarah said and patted Jack’s hand.

            “Breech babies are serious,” Katherine muttered.

            “Kitty, I’ll be fine,” Sarah said and leaned into Katherine’s side. “The baby has probably turned by now.”

            “We’ll see.”

            That baby hadn’t turned at all. Jack bit his lip and he twisted his fingers nervously. He wished Davey could be here, but it was within school hours so Davey was working. Katherine slipped her hand between Jack’s and let him hold onto her.

            “So what are my options?” Sarah asked. She didn’t seem upset or affected at all.

            “Well,” the doctor said. “We could medically turn the baby ourselves, but that would put you on bedrest until you go into labor.”

            “What else?” Sarah asked.

            “We could schedule to induce you and have a C-section,” the doctor said.

            “Alright,” Sarah said and she looked to Jack.

            “It’s up to you, Sarah,” Jack said and he tried not to hold onto Katherine’s hand too tightly.

            “It’s your baby,” Sarah pointed out.

            “I know, but it’s your body,” Jack said.

            She nodded and took a moment to think. “I think that the C-section would be best.”

            “We’ll get it set up.” The doctor smiled and Jack tried to relax. He felt like there was white noise playing over everything the doctor and Sarah said as he tried to wrap his head around everything that was going to happen.

            He was on autopilot as he drove back to work, Davey having agreed to pick up the kids and bring them over.

            His ears were still buzzing when the kids came rushing in and hugged him, Davey coming in behind them.

            “Why don’t you all head upstairs to Uncle Race’s studio. I’m sure that he has Mateo.” Davey patted them all on the head as they rushed out chorusing an ‘okay, Dad’ before they sprinted away. “Jackie? Jack?” Jack just looked over at Davey. “What’s going on? Did something happen?”

            Jack snapped out of it at the sound of panic in Davey’s voice. “No. I mean not really. That’s the problem I guess.” Jack rubbed a hand over his face. “Okay just- gimme a second- alright.” Jack took a breath. “The baby’s still breech so Sarah’s gonna hafta have surgery, a C-section. I guess I just… I dunno. It’s hittin’ me funny.”

            “Don’t scare me like that,” Davey said and he sounded out of breath but in the bad way. He hugged Jack and smoothed Jack’s hair down gently.

            “I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinkin’,” Jack wrapped his arms around Davey and pulled in him tighter.

            “Let’s just focus on the party. How about that?” Davey asked and pulled back.

            “Yeah, that’s not stressful at all,” Jack laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

            “Start calling your small army of siblings,” Davey said.

…..

            “Watch it!” Jack shouted to Benjy and Atticus as they thundered through the dining room and nearly cracked their heads on the table. “I must be outta my mind addin’ anothe’ baby to all this.”

            “It’s too late, Kelly. You already knocked me up,” Sarah teased and pinched Jack’s butt. Jack’s cheeks burned and he swatted her hand away.

            “Shuddup and just eat your apple slices.”

            “Yessir,” Sarah said and gave him a mock salute.

            “Hands off. There are many things I’m willing to share with you as my sister, Sarah. Unfortunately, Jack’s butt isn’t one of them,” Davey said.

            “I’m standin’ right here!” Jack protested.

            “Now you know what it’s like to be an objectified woman in America,” Katherine joked and patted his arm.

            “I’ll get it!” Davey called when the doorbell rang.

            Jack was talking to Smalls and Crutchie when he heard Davey’s name being shouted and then a loud thud. Jack’s head whipped around to look over toward the door to see Davey on the floor with Les wrapped around him. They were chattering in rapid-fire Hebrew and when Sarah saw them her voice chimed in every now and then.

            “Is that Davey’s little brother?” Smalls asked.

            “Yeah, that’s Les,” Jack said.

            “He seems… energetic,” Crutchie said with a grin, shifting his crutch so it was more comfortable under his arm.

            “He’s a good kid. Only about nineteen/twenty though, so go easy on ‘im,” Jack said and was talking more to Smalls than to Crutchie.

            “Will do,” Smalls said and shot Jack finger guns before she noticed Spot cradling Mateo. “Ooh, there’s my new nephew. Sorry gents, I’ve got some baby cheeks to smoosh.”

            “She’s so fuckin’ weird,” Jack said and Crutchie laughed.

            “She grew up in a house with us, how could she turn out any different?” Crutchie asked and clapped Jack’s shoulder. “So, how’re you feelin’ about all o’ this?”

            “Pretty good. Overwhelmed sometimes,” Jack admitted.

            “I’m happy for ya, Jack. It’s nice to see ya wit’ such a big grin on your face all the time.” Crutchie smiled brightly and Jack knew it was true. It used to be that only the kids and maybe Medda or Albert could coax a smile onto Jack’s face, but now he felt his cheeks aching almost every night when he went to sleep with how much smiling he did.

            “It’s nice to smile,” Jack said. “Can I get ya anythin’?” Jack asked and pointedly looked toward a chair.

            “I’ll sit when I’m good and ready. Now go on and mingle.” Jack grinned and clapped Crutchie’s arm before he moved to greet Les with a hug and then introduce the kids to Les. They’d never gotten the chance to meet before.

            “Atticus, this is Les. He’s Davey and Ima Sarah’s little brother,” Jack said when he managed to catch his youngest boy.

            “So does that mean you’re my Uncle since Davey is kinda my dad?” Atticus asked, his little face screwed up behind his glasses.

            “I guess so,” Les said with a smile.

            “Okay good. ‘Cuz that seems pretty cool.” Atticus squirmed to be put down. “I’ll see ya later, Uncle Les.” Atticus waved and then darted off to where Race was sitting with Mateo in his lap.

            “They can be a handful,” Jack said after he’d managed to rope Lilabet and Benjy into introductions. They’d been just as glib and flippant as Atticus so Jack would take it as a small victory that they seemed to get along.

            “They’re great, Jack.” Les grinned as he took in the bustle and noise. “Your whole family seems pretty great.” Les’s smile faltered for a moment. “Can I- uh- can I talk to you outside for a sec?”

            “Sure thing,” Jack nodded and they walked out onto the small back patio.

            “It’s about my _ima_ and _abba_ ,” Les said. “They’re… they’re old-fashioned. They don’t really have problems with Davey and Sarah being gay, but something about the arrangement still has them riled. I’m trying really hard to win them over, and you calling them, with whatever you said, seemed to help…” Les rubbed the back of his neck.

            “If they don’t want anythin’ to do wit’ the baby that’s fine,” Jack said callously. “I’ve dealt with pretty awful grandparents before, Les. I ain’t gonna take so long this time.”

            “No! I wouldn’t ask you to,” Les said and he awkwardly touched Jack’s elbow. “I’m just saying give them time. It’s their only shot at a grandkid and I know they’ll regret it if they don’t become part of your kid’s life.”

            Jack nodded. “Thanks, Les.”

            “It’d probably helped if you actually married my brother.”

            “What?” Jack asked, his face going red.

            “I told you, my parents are old-fashioned. You and Davey aren’t married and that’s probably a big part of their problem with this.”

            Jack nodded. He’d never thought of that. Honestly, they were so domestic he’d never thought about marriage because he’d never really thought that he needed to have a big Thing to show Davey he loved him.

            Les went inside and not long after Davey slipped out.

            “Hey, you’re missing the party,” Davey teased and gave Jack a kiss.

            “Would you wanna marry me?” Jack asked.

            “Is this a formal proposal?” Davey asked, obviously shocked.

            “No. Maybe? I dunno. I just wondered if you feel like we should?” Jack bit his lip as Davey thought for a moment.

            “I don’t feel like we have to if you didn’t want to,” Davey said. “Would it be nice to have a party with our friends where we promise to love each other? I mean, I guess. But I already know that you love me and I love you, the rest is just technicality.”

            “Okay,” Jack said.

            “Maybe, after we get through the first year with the baby. They say it’s the hardest and if I still love you after _that_ ,” Davey teased.

            “Alright, I get it,” Jack laughed and he slipped his hand into Davey’s.

            “Let’s get back into that party,” Davey said and kissed Jack softly for a lingering moment.

            “Okay.”

…..

            Jack and Davey ended up having to carry the kids up to their beds because they all fell asleep on the couch while they’d played a silly party game that Spot and Race had come up with.

            “They in bed?” Spot asked quietly as he rocked Mateo against his chest.

            Jack just nodded.

            “So we’ve been thinkin’,” Race said quietly as he packed Mateo’s things back into the diaper bag, “and we want to give you and Davey the weekend before the baby comes some time to yourselves. We’ll take the kids so Kath and Sarah can have some free time as well, and then we’ll bring ‘em to the hospital so that they can be there when their brother or sister is born. How’s that sound?”

            Jack looked at Davey and Davey shrugged.

            “That’s really nice, but we still got two weeks so can we have a day or two to think about it?” Jack asked.

            “Just call us or text or whatever.” Race nodded and took Mateo from Spot so Spot could slip his shoes on.

            “Will do.”

            “Thank you,” Davey said sincerely.

            “No problem.”

…..

            “Atticus, be gentle with Mateo,” Jack said.

            “I am,” Atticus said as he smoothed Mateo’s blond curls away from his face.

            It was only a few minutes later that Mateo started screaming and Jack ran out to see Atticus sitting next to Mateo as Mateo screamed.

            “Atticus Oliver Kelly, what did I _just_ say to you?” Jack said as he picked up Mateo and rocked him gently.

            “I didn’t do anything!” Atticus protested.

            “Well then, what happened?” Jack asked once he’d gotten Mateo settled again.

            “He went to push himself up and his hands slipped and he fell,” Atticus said. Jack bit his lip and he checked to make sure Mateo was alright. He seemed okay, no bumps or bruises.

            “Alright, I’m sorry I snapped, Bud,” Jack said and he pressed a kiss to Atticus’s head. “Do you have any homework?”

            “I have to finish up my math problems,” Atticus said guiltily.

            “Then get to it,” Jack said.  He shook his head at his son. His pocket started buzzing so Jack answered it.

            “Hey, Cowboy,” Race said. “How’s Squirmy doin’?”

            “He’s fine,” Jack said. He decided that he wasn’t going to mention his little slip.

            “Good,” Race said.

            Jack was about to open his mouth to ask something when he heard a crash from the stairs. “Racer, I’m gonna have to call ya back.” He quickly hung up and settled Mateo into his playpen before running to the stairs.

            All of his children were sprawled at the bottom on their backs with the crib box a few feet away.

            “You three bette’ start explainin’,” Jack said, trying to keep his cool.

            “It was Benjy’s idea!” Atticus cried and rubbed at where a bruise was blossoming on his arm.

            “I saw it on a movie and it looked like fun!” Benjy protested.

            “Benjamin Nathaniel, get an icepack for your knee and then right back here,” Jack said sternly. Benjy’s knee looked a little swollen and Jack hoped his son hadn’t broken anything.

            Atticus was still sniffling and poking at his elbow while Lilabet rubbed at her head.

            “How many times have I told yous not to play on the stairs?” Jack asked calmly once Benjy was sitting on the stairs with a cold pack pressed to his knee.

            “I dunno, a lot,” Lilabet said sassily.

            “Elizabeth, I don’t need your sarcasm,” Jack said. “Why would you play on the stairs when I’ve told you not to?”

            “It looked like fun,” Lilabet said. “Besides, lots of kids in our grade slide on their stairs. Their parents let them,” she said, obviously pouting.

            “I’m not your friends’ parents. I’m your parent.” Jack shook his head. “You’re all having time-outs. Now. Benjy up to your room, door closed, Lilabet in your room with the door open, and Atticus I want you to sit at the dinner table.”

            “I don’t wanna,” Lilabet said.

            “I don’t care what you want. You disobeyed a rule and now you’re being punished,” Jack said. “All of you. Go. I won’t tell ya again.”

            Lilabet stomped up to the twins’ room with Benjy trudging at her side. Atticus slunk meekly into the dining room and sat down with his head down.

            “And I don’t wanna hear a peep from any of yous until I come get ya!” Jack said. He moved to set the timer for ten minutes.

            Before the ten minutes were up, Davey came in.

            “What’s going on?” Davey asked, carrying Mateo into the kitchen where Jack was fixing dinner.

            “They’re all in time out for sliding down the stairs on a cardboard box,” Jack said. He rubbed at the forming headache between his eyes.

            “Are they okay?” Davey asked and shifted Mateo.

            “Some bumps and bruises, but no broken bones, thankfully.”

            “Daddy?”

            Jack turned to see Atticus looking at him embarrassedly.

            “What, Atticus? I thought I said no talkin’.”

            “I gotta go potty,” Atticus said. “Can I go?”

            “Yeah,” Jack said and softened. “But use the one in me and Davey’s room, and then right back here.” Atticus nodded and darted off. Jack slumped against the counter.

            “Maybe we should say yes to Race and Spot’s offer,” Davey said casually. Jack’s head snapped up from where he’d been letting it hang tiredly. “It’ll give you a little break before the chaos. They’re getting all wound up because it’s close to the end of school, the baby’ll be here in about a week and a half, and who knows what else.” Davey shrugged and booped Mateo’s nose.

            “I’ll talk to ‘em when they come to pick up Mateo,” Jack said and checked his watch. “Should be any minute.”

…..

            Jack had just finished tucking the kids in when Race and Spot knocked on the door. Mateo was fast asleep in the car seat with Davey gently rocking it to keep him that way.

            “He wasn’t too awful to put down was he?” Race asked as he lifted the car seat.

            “He actually went down pretty easy this time,” Davey said. Race grinned at that and Spot seemed impressed.

            “Well good, hopefully he’ll stay asleep. I’m gonna go put ‘im in the car,” Race said and waved before he walked out.

            “So,” Spot said and he pushed a hand through his hair. “You guys look like hell.” He looked Jack and Davey up and down and the both of them looked pretty worn down. “Kids drivin’ you nuts yet?”

            “Only a little,” Jack said and rubbed at his eyes.

            “I really think you should let us babysit for a weekend, Jack,” Spot said seriously.

            “But you just had a baby,” Jack pointed out.

            “Yeah, and that’s how I know you guys’re gonna need all the quiet time you can get. Me and Racer didn’t have a baby before Mateo, so it was different.” Spot shrugged.

            Jack bit his lip and he glanced at Davey who just shrugged tiredly. “I… I guess…” Jack agreed.

            “It’ll be nothin’ to worry ‘bout,” Spot said. “I’ll call ya tomorrow or have Racer fix everythin’ up. It’ll be fine,” Spot assured and then he nodded toward the door. “I better get Matti into bed. See yous later.”

            “Night,” Jack said and waved to his brother as Spot left. He slumped a little once the door was shut.

            “You do look really tired,” Davey said and he pressed a kiss to Jack’s temple.

            “’M goin’ to bed,” Jack said around a yawn.

            “Good idea.” Davey smoothed Jack’s hair and they both made their way into their bedroom to get some sleep.

…..

\- 8 days until baby-

            “C’mon Boots,” Jack said and moved over to where Boots was sitting with a sheet of blank butcher paper surrounded by paint tubes and brushes but was resolutely not working. “You know if you don’t work on something then I’m gonna have to call your case worker.”

            “I don’t feel like it,” Boots muttered and picked at his nails.

            “You’ve gotta do some sorta work,” Jack said and sat down on the floor next to Boots. “Or you gotta talk to me, which ain’t near as fun.”

            Boots sighed heavily through his nose. “I got a letter from my mom,” he said quietly.

            “Oh…” Jack said equally as quiet. Boots had been found abandoned when he was five years old. He still remembered his mother, a little at least, but he’d been in the system for most of his young life.

            “She talked about a lotta stuff but…” He shrugged. “I guess I’m just real mad at her still.”

            “You know that’s okay, right?” Jack asked. “To be mad at her.”

            “Really?”

            “Yeah. I’ll letcha in on a little secret,” Jack said and shuffled a little closer. “When I was a kid, my dad left too. It was real hard on my ma, who was always gettin’ sick, and I got so angry at ‘im. Then after Miss Medda adopted me, he tried to call and talk to me. I never talked to ‘im, because I was so mad at ‘im still, but then he died.” Jack shrugged. “I never got to find out why he did the things he did, or what he wanted to say to me.”

            Boots’s eyes were wide at Jack’s story. “Do you ever feel bad about it?”

            “Yeah, sometimes,” Jack admitted. “I wonder sometimes if things would be different if I had reconnected wit’ my fathe’, but now… it’s too late. But it ain’t too late for you.” Jack nudged Boots’s shoulder. “I ain’t sayin’ you hafta talk to her, but you might regret it if you don’t.”

            “I’ll think about it,” Boots said quietly.

            “Alright,” Jack nodded and ruffled the boy’s hair. “Now, get to work and make me somethin’ so I can give ya a good report.”

            “Alright,” Boots said and he was smiling again so Jack took it as a win.

            Jack grinned back and was glad that he could brag on Boots’s communication skills to his caseworker when she showed up to pick him and a few of the other kids up.

            Jack decided to leave a little early so he could make sure to pick up the kids on time and maybe help Davey with any work that needed to be done.

            He picked the kids up and then herded them towards Davey’s classroom. It was there that Davey and Sarah were scowling at the principal while Mr. Weisel talked to the two of them.

            “Is there a problem?” Jack asked, immediately on the defensive for Davey and Sarah both.

            “This is school business and doesn’t concern you, Mr. Kelly,” Mr. Weisel sneered.

            “Well since you’re talking to my partner and my children’s stepmother, I think it does,” Jack said with a frown.

            “It’s about having two teachers out on leave at the same time, Jack,” Sarah said.

            Jack frowned at that. Jack had skimmed over Davey’s copy of his contract to double check his leave, and he had it guaranteed for at least 10 days for any reason. He assumed that Sarah’s contract was the same if she didn’t have more days for maternity leave.

            “We’ll definitely think about it, Mr. Weisel,” Davey said with forced politeness and a smile that looked more like a grimace. “We’ll get back to you before Friday.”

            Weisel looked between Jack, Davey, and Sarah before he nodded. “Fine, but before Friday.”

            He left and Davey’s shoulders slumped.

            “What’s goin’ on?” Benjy asked and frowned up at Jack and Davey.

            “It’s just some stuff about Davey leavin’ work when Ima Sarah has the baby,” Jack said and smoothed Benjy’s hair down.

            “Does that mean we can’t keep the baby?” Benjy asked and moved over to Sarah’s side in an almost protective gesture.

            “No, Benjy,” Davey assured and knelt down so they were eye-to-eye. “It just means that I might now be able to leave work to help take care of the baby like we’d planned on,” Davey said and chewed his bottom lip.

            “But… but why?” Lilabet asked and she seemed distraught at the prospect.

            “Because Ima Sarah has to take off since she’s _having_ the baby,” Davey said. “And since Mr. Weisel doesn’t want two teachers to be out at the same time, I’d let Ima Sarah take off so she’ll be able to rest.”

            She just nodded but all the children seemed upset.

            “What’s wrong?” Davey asked.

            “What if the baby doesn’t like you ‘cuz you’re not around?” Atticus asked and pushed his glasses up on his nose. He was clinging to Jack’s pant leg and frowning seriously.

            “That won’t happen,” Davey said with confidence but Jack could see that there was a slight glimmer of worry in his eyes.

            “Mama wasn’t around a lot when yous were little and you still love your Mama,” Jack pointed out. They all nodded but it was with an air of skepticism. Benjy let his head rest on Sarah’s hip. “Come on, let’s help Davey clean up his classroom, then we’ll pick up something to eat, and then we’ll go home.”

            The kids all seemed to perk up at that and rushed into Davey’s classroom.

            “ _David_ , I don’t want you to lose bonding time with the baby,” Sarah said.

            “You need to take the leave,” Davey insisted. “You’ll be in the hospital for at least a day or two and your body will need time to rest. It’s alright.”

            Jack could see that Davey was lying but he just let Davey reassure Sarah as much as Davey could. She seemed to still be a little upset but she nodded.

            “Okay, but if you really start to get on edge about it, I wanna know. I’ll cut my leave short and you can head home to be with you and Jack’s baby.” Sarah seemed determined and Davey just smiled and agreed.

            “I’ll see you boys on Tuesday,” Sarah got on her toes and kissed their cheeks before she headed back to her own classroom.”

            “Davey-” Jack started but Davey cut him off.

            “Let’s get this stuff done so we can head home,” Davey said cheerfully but Jack could see that he was really torn up about what was happening.

            They picked up pizza, the kids having their normal argument about whether pineapple on pizza was good or disgusting. Lilabet and Benjy hated it, but Atticus argued for it with such imagination and fervor that they always ended up getting at least half with pineapple. They headed home with one pepperoni pizza and a half cheese- half pineapple pizza.

            Jack sent the kids inside to set the table with paper plates while he and Davey each grabbed a pizza and headed inside.

            Dinner was fairly normal except that Davey was quiet. He smiled, sort of, when the kids told him something funny, and he spoke to them when they asked him a question, but he was withdrawn.

            When Jack and the kids were clearing up the table, Davey slipped away when no one was looking. “Where’s Dad?” Benjy asked and frowned, his nose scrunching up.

            “I’m sure he’s around, B. Go ahead and get ready for bed, all of ya.” Jack gave them all smiles but when he checked his and Davey’s bedroom and even the back yard, Davey wasn’t to be found. Jack decided with the time he needed to go ahead and put the kids to bed himself. They all asked about Davey when he was tucking them in and he reassured them that Davey was alright but he’d probably had a long day.

            Jack tucked them all in and he went around to see if he could find Davey. He wasn’t anywhere upstairs, he wasn’t in the living room, dining room, or their bedroom or bathroom. Jack went and made sure to peek outside again, but Davey wasn’t out there either.

            There was only one more place that Davey could be.

            The nursery.

            Jack moved over to the closed door of the nursery and he could hear quiet shuffling around inside. It had to be Davey so Jack opened the door quietly and slipped inside. Davey was sitting in the rocking chair with a small pile of baby clothes in his lap and he was folding them.  It wasn’t until Davey sniffed that Jack realized that Davey was crying.

            “Davey,” Jack said quietly and moved over to kneel in front of Davey.

            “It’s stupid, I don’t even know why I’m getting upset,” Davey said and swiped at his eyes with the sleeve of his sweater.

            “You’s upset because this is your first baby and you’re not gonna get time to spend with ‘em,” Jack said and he moved to brush his thumb over Davey’s cheek to wipe at the tear tracks.

            “I can’t tell Sarah not to take leave. She has to,” Davey said and he ducked his head, leaning into Jack’s touch. “But I want to be able to be around for the first week and a half of our kid’s life.”

            “You’re gonna,” Jack said and he leaned over to press a kiss to Davey’s temple. “Just because you ain’t gonna be around 24/7 for the first week or two, don’t mean that you ain’t gonna be around at all or that it’s gonna impact you bonding wit’ the baby.”

            “But what if they do hate me?” Davey asked.

            “They ain’t gonna remember the first week, they gonna remember the big stuff that you’re gonna do their whole life,” Jack said. “I know it feels like the worst thing, but if you want,” Jack said and smiled at Davey softly as he tipped Davey’s chin up, “I’ll take offa work to look afte’ the baby.”

            “You can’t,” Davey insisted.

            “I can and I will,” Jack said. “Now c’mon and go to bed. I’ll call Mama in the morning and figure out a replacement for Tuesday and on for a bit.”

            “Are you sure?” Davey asked.

            “Yes,” Jack said and he leaned in and tugged on the collar of Davey’s sweater. “Now c’mon to bed.”

-5 days until baby-

            Jack and Davey were both sorting out weekend bags for the kids. Spot was going to swing by after his shift at the hospital to pick them up. Thankfully, Spot didn’t have a late shift so the kids would still be awake but probably tired from their day at school.

            It didn’t feel like long and then Spot was knocking on the door, Lilabet running to get it. She threw the door open, making it bang against the wall much to Davey’s displeasure, and then jumped into Spot’s arms. Spot easily swung her up onto his hip and pressed a smacking kiss to her cheek. “How’s my girl?” Spot asked.

            “Good!” She grinned and Jack couldn’t help the smile on his face as Spot closed the door with his foot.

            “You and your brothers ready to head to me and Uncle Race’s place?” Spot asked.

            “Packed and ready,” Jack said and held up their bags.

            “Great,” Spot said and when he put Lilabet down, he winced.

            “You alright?” Jack asked.

            “Yeah, it’s no big deal,” Spot said and waved off Jack’s concern. “Kid just caught me in the ribs with a foot. It’s all good.”

            “You sure?” Jack asked and eyed Spot.

            “Would ya stop motherin’ me, Jack. I’ll get some ice on it when I get back,” Spot said and wrinkled his nose at Jack.

            “Be sure to,” Davey said seriously. “As someone who’s gotten kicked by a kid before, they’re stronger than they look sometimes.”

            “Trust me, I know. You ain’t neve’ had to hold one down for a shot.”

            “True enough,” Davey said. When the boys came down, Jack gave them their bags and handed Lilabet’s bag to Spot.

            “You behave for Uncle Spot and Uncle Race, alright?” Jack said.

            They all nodded and Jack and Davey both knelt down to get hugs and kisses.

            “Goodnight, and behave,” Davey said as he pressed kisses to the top of each of their heads.

            “We will, Dad,” Atticus said and pressed his palms to Davey’s cheeks.

            “You better,” Davey said with a grin.

            “Alright, let’s hit the road,” Spot said to the kids. He ushered them to the car. “You two, relax and have fun.” Spot winked and Jack felt his face heat up. Davey’s cheeks were bright red.

            The door shut and both of them just stood there for a moment.

            “So,” Jack said quietly.

            “So,” Davey said back and looked at Jack out of the corner of his eye.

            “I’m gonna hop in the shower if you wanna pick a movie for when I get out,” Jack said with a small smile.

            “Sounds great to me.” Davey gave Jack a quick kiss and then headed toward the living room, Jack heading into his and Davey’s bathroom.

-4 days until baby-

            Jack cracked his eyes open to streams of sunlight falling over his and Davey’s bed, and Davey’s back pressed to his chest. He smiled sleepily and he tilted his head so that he could press an open-mouthed kiss to Davey’s neck. Davey hummed and he smiled, shifting back against Jack.

            Davey turned over so that he was facing Jack, their noses brushing.

            “I love you,” Jack said and he brushed a soft kiss to Davey’s mouth.

            “Love you too, Jackie,” Davey said and he shifted a little closer as he leaned in to kiss Jack.

            It started as just clumsy kisses that were more just brushing their mouths together than anything, but then as they both woke up their kisses turned into more than that. Davey slipped his hands under Jack’s shirt and lightly ran his nails over Jack’s back and then his stomach. Jack arched into Davey’s touch.

            Jack gently shifted them so that Davey was on his back with Jack settled between his thighs. Jack pulled away from their kiss to smile at him and then shift his way down Davey’s body until his breath was fanning out over the skin of Davey’s stomach, just above the waistband of his shorts.

            “Can I?” Jack asked and looked up at Davey.

            “Please,” Davey said and bit his lip.

            Jack grinned and pressed a feather-light kiss to where the fabric of Davey’s shorts was pushing forward. He tugged Davey’s pants down and tossed them off their bed. He grinned at Davey not having underwear.

            “I love you,” Jack said and kissed Davey’s bare hip.

            "I know,” Davey said and he made a soft noise as he tried to keep his hips still.

            “Good,” Jack said. He pressed a kiss closer to Davey’s dick but didn’t actually touch him. Davey scowled at him so Jack decided to have mercy and he took Davey in hand, keeping his grip light.

            “You’re aw-awful,” Davey said, his breath stuttering as Jack twisted his wrist and thumbed over the head of Davey’s dick.

            “I could stop…” Jack said and loosened his grip.

            “No, don’t stop,” Davey said and hitched his hips up a little. Jack grinned at how easily he could undue Davey’s composure.

            “Okay,” Jack breathed out and he settled himself so he could kiss Davey as he slowly jerked him off.

            “You’re wearing- _fuck_ \- you’re wearing too many clothes,” Davey said.

            “I’m gonna hafta quit touchin’ you to take ‘em off,” Jack pointed out.

            “Please, Jack.”

            Jack nodded and he pulled his hand away from Davey so he could strip off his shirt and wiggle out of his boxer briefs. When he moved to continue getting Davey off, he pressed a kiss to Davey’s jaw. “Better?” He asked softly.

            “Yeah,” Davey breathed out and arched his back off the bed so that more of their skin was touching.

            Jack moved to gently press kisses along Davey’s neck and shoulder as he moved his hand languidly. He wanted to be able to take it slow like this, but most of the time with kids around that jus wasn’t possible. Now though, they had all the time in the world.

            Davey gently touched Jack’s wrist and Jack got a flash of wicked smile from Davey before Davey flipped them over. Jack laughed at the look of triumph on his face, that is until Davey kissed him and all he could think about was what Davey tasted like, what Davey’s skin felt like under his hands, and what Davey smelled like.

            Davey aligned their hips and rutted against Jack as he held onto Jack’s shoulders to stabilize himself. Jack moaned against Davey’s mouth before he moved to sit up, giving Davey a different angle.

            Jack’s hands were a little shaky as he reached between them to wrap his fingers around both their cocks. Davey shuddered and Jack felt a bolt of heat run down his spine to settle firmly in his stomach. Davey’s hand joined Jack’s and they both moved in tandem at a pace that had the two of them moaning into each other’s mouths.

            Davey’s hips twitched and his fingers loosened as he pulled away from their kiss to press his forehead against the side of Jack’s head. After a few more strokes, Davey was gasping into Jack’s ear and coming all over Jack’s chest. Jack worked Davey through the aftershocks and Davey, still loose and a little clumsy, moved to brush Jack’s hand away so he could take Jack in hand. Jack shuddered at Davey’s warmth and it wasn’t long after that Jack was coming as well, his eyes closing and his breathing coming out sharply.

            Once Jack had a moment to sit and catch his breath, he wrinkled his nose at the tacky feeling of his and Davey’s mess all over his chest and thighs. “Shower?” Jack offered and shifted a little.

            “Sounds good,” Davey said and wiped his hand on his already messy thigh.

            They showered together, swapping occasional kisses as they reached around each other or changed places under the spray of water. It was a nice start to their morning. Jack finished first and after he’d brushed his teeth, he headed out to turn the coffeemaker on so he could get a mug in his system to wake him up a little more. Between the sex and the warm shower, he was still a little groggy.

            He took in the quiet around him that he knew wouldn’t last, especially with their being so little time before the baby arrived, but it was nice to have it as he sipped his coffee. He took his mug with him as he headed toward the nursery. He walked around and took in the little room. There was a rocking chair next to the crib, some shelves with high shelves with some books and toys on them. Jack moved over to pick up the stuffed rabbit from one of the shelves. He grinned at it before he replaced it on the shelf. He smiled at the little elephant rocker that they’d gotten. Everything seemed so perfect and it made Jack’s chest twist up.

            He couldn’t wait to meet their little one.

            Only about four more days.

-2 days until baby-

            Jack made sure to get the kids ready for school and to get them into the car so that Davey didn’t have to stress about it. He even made Davey a travel mug of coffee.

            “You’re amazing,” Davey said and kissed Jack soundly.

            “Don’t stress, everythin’ is alright,” Jack reminded. As Sarah’s surgery date got closer, Davey had been getting a little antsy. After their weekend without the kids, where they’d mostly just had sex and caught up on babyproofing, Davey had gotten jittery and now he was stressing himself to the max trying to fix things that were fine.

            “Alright,” Davey said and he smiled.

            “Go on then,” Jack said and gently slapped Davey on the bum. “Have a good day.”

            “You too.”

…..

            Jack was waving off his last class when he got a phone call from Katherine.

            “What’s up?” Jack asked as he put the phone between his cheek and shoulder.

            “Just wanted to check in on you and see how you’re holdin’ up,” Katherine said. “I know Sarah said David’s a mess trying to get himself together for the baby coming.”

            “He is, but I’m feeling a little more calm. Guess I got all my panickin’ out,” Jack laughed.

            “Good, at least one of you should be ready.”

            “He’s ready, well… as ready as anyone havin’ a baby for the first time can be ready,” Jack said.

            There was a moment of silence. “Do you remember when Benjy was born?”

            “Yeah, I do,” Jack said with a warm smile.

            “You were a wreck,” Katherine teased.

            “I was nineteen and it was a first baby,” Jack said. “I think I should get a pass.”

            “You were really good with him though,” Katherine said. “You caught on so much faster than I did, hell… I still don’t have the hang of it.”

            “I neve’ felt like I had a handle on it,” Jack said.

            “Well,” Katherine said, “if I know anything about David, it’s that he’ll probably be like you. He’ll take right to it once the little one arrives.”

            “I think so too,” Jack said.

            “Good luck, Jack.”

            “Thanks, Katherine,” Jack said genuinely. “I hope Sarah has an easy recovery.”

…..

            Davey stared up at the ceiling and Jack could almost hear the anxious white noise in his partner’s mind.

            “Davey, baby, I can hear ya thinkin’ from here,” Jack said quietly. “You ain’t gotta worry.”

            “What if something goes wrong?” Davey asked and turned onto his side. “Or what if I’m bad with the baby?”

            “Davey, it ain’t gonna be like that,” Jack said and he shifted to look over at Davey.

            “How do you know that?”

            “Because when Benjy was born I was nineteen and stupid,” Jack said, “but the second the nurse put ‘im in my arms I knew that I was gonna do whateve’ I had to for ‘im. I know you’re gonna be a good dad, ‘cuz you want it and you’re good with the kids.” Jack pressed a kiss to Davey’s forehead. “So get some sleep. Tomorrow’s a big day.”

            “Okay,” Davey said and he smiled at Jack. “Thank you.”

            “Anytime, Davey,” Jack said softly and smiled as Davey curled up into his side and after a little while finally fell asleep.

-Day of baby-

            “C’mon, kiddos!” Jack called. “You gonna be alright to be here for a bit alone while I’m droppin’ ‘em off?” Jack asked. Davey had called in sick for the day so that he could be in the waiting room with Jack and Katherine.

            “Yeah, I’ve got to put the baby bag together anyway,” Davey said.

            “Alright. Love you, be back soon.”

            Jack got the kids into the car and was driving them to school when Benjy spoke up. “Can’t we stay and wait for the baby too?” Benjy asked.

            “No, you’re almost done with school and I don’t wantcha to get behind ‘cuz o’ the baby. You’ll get to meet ‘em when you get outta school,” Jack said.

            “But, Daddy-” Atticus protested.

            “No ‘buts’, Bud. You’ve gotta go. Me, Mama, and Davey agree on that,” Jack said.

            All the kids decided to pout on the way there.

            When Jack had walked the kids to the doors of their school, Benjy tugged on the hem of Jack’s shirt. “Daddy, can I borrow the picture of the baby and the picture of our family?”

            “What for?” Jack asked as he pulled his wallet out of his pocket.

            “For show and tell today. I was gonna ask before, but I forgot,” Benjy said.

            “Alright, but you gotta make sure you don’t lose ‘em, B,” Jack said seriously. “You’ve gotta promise me.”

            Benjy crossed his heart. “I’ll keep ‘em in my backpack until then and I’ll put ‘em right back.”

            “Alright.” Jack handed over the latest sonogram picture and the picture of Jack, Davey, Sarah, Katherine and all the kids.

            Benjy grinned and took off to his classroom.

            Jack smiled, glad that Benjy finally seemed to be okay with all of this, and then turned to leave. Mr. Weisel was standing there when he turned. “I hope our Mr. Jacobs begins to feel better,” Weisel sneered.

            “Yeah. Must be a bug that he caught from the kiddos,” Jack said brusquely. “I’m sure he’ll be better soon.”

            “I’m sure.”

            “Good day, Weasel,” Jack sniped.

            “It’s Weisel.”

            “Ain’t that what I said?” Jack asked, the perfect mix of politeness and innocence as he crossed the parking lot to get back into his car. “Ass,” Jack muttered once he was pulling away. He drove back to his place and headed inside. “Dave?” Jack called as he toed off his shoes.

            “I’m in the nursery!”

            Jack headed that way and he poked his head in. Davey was gathering some baby clothes for when they brought their new addition home.

            “Do you think I should get something else?” Davey asked as he held up the tiny yellow overalls and white t-shirt with little ducks printed on it.

            “I think it’s perfect,” Jack said and nodded. “But you should get some socks too if you don’t have ‘em.”

            “I’ve got plain white ones, yeah,” Davey said. “I’ve got clothes, a swaddling blanket, and a pacifier.”

            “Sounds good to me,” Jack said.

            Davey nodded as he folded the clothes carefully, grabbed the socks, and then put them into the little backpack that he had. “Has Sarah or Kath texted yet?”

            “Not yet,” Jack said but checked his phone anyway. “Want me to show you how to put the car seat into the car?”

            “Yeah, please,” Davey said and picked up the backpack. “I can go ahead and put this in the car too while I’m at it.”

            Jack was in the middle of having Davey show him how to lock the carseat again when his phone pinged.

_From: Baby Mama #1_

_Sarah’s labor is in motion and they say probably another hour before they take her back. I’d say you’ll wanna head here soon._

_To: Baby Mama #1_

_We’re on our way_

            “Well, looks like we’re ready to have a baby,” Jack said and slipped his hand into Davey’s.

            “Looks like we are,” Davey said with a huge grin.

…..

            Katherine, Jack, and Davey all sat in the waiting room. They’d seen Sarah while they were prepping her for surgery. She’d been smiling and positive when they’d been talking. It made Davey a little more at ease then, but now he was pacing a little circle in front of Jack and Katherine.

            “Must be a twin thing,” Katherine said.

            Jack shook his head at her and laughing a little, but he stifled it when Davey turned to glare at them.

            “Baby, c’mere,” Jack said and held out his hand. “You gotta sit down. You’re gonna pace a hole in the floor.”

            “Sorry,” Davey said and he sat down next to Jack, holding onto his hand tightly. They were sitting for a moment before they heard a nurse talking to someone as they ushered them to the waiting room.

            “And you can wait here for your daughter,” the nurse said with a bright smile as she gestured inside.

            “Thank you,” a soft and familiar voice said. After a second the people the nurse had been leading walked in, and they were Ester and Meyer Jacobs.

            Jack blinked at Davey’s parents.

            “ _Ima, Abba_?” Davey asked, his voice tight.

            “ _David_ ,” Meyer said with a small smile.

            “What are you doing here?” Davey asked and Jack let Davey squeezed his hand.

            “We wanted to be here for you, _David_ ,” Ester said. “We shouldn’t have let our… let our ideas about how your life should be get in the way of our relationship with you and our future grandchild.”

            Davey blinked for a moment.

            “You… you want to be part of our lives?” Davey asked.

            “We do,” Meyer said.

            “Of course we do,” Ester said.

            Davey looked at Jack. “It’s up to you, Dave,” Jack said.

            “I want you to be part of this,” Davey said, “but I don’t want you to push. Jack and I aren’t going to get married until _we’re_ ready. The way we raise the baby, and Jack’s other children, is up to _us_. Understood?”

            Ester bit her lip and nodded. “We just wanted what we thought was best,” She said.

            “I know that,” Davey said and he softened a little, “but I’m not a little boy anymore. I can make my own decisions.”

            “And that’s hard to accept,” Ester said and she moved over to cradle Davey’s face between her hands. “You’re all so grown up, and it’s difficult to deal with sometimes.”

            Davey smiled at her.

            “Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs, I’m about to pick up coffees for all of us. Would you like me to pick up anything for you?” Katherine asked.

            “No thank you, Katherine,” Ester said and Meyer nodded his agreement.

            “I’ll be right back, boys,” Katherine said and brushed her hand over Jack’s shoulder.

            “We’ll be here,” Davey said.

…..

            “Sarah Jacobs’s family?” A nurse called. All of them stood and the lady walked over with a smile.  “And update: both mother and baby are doing perfect. In a moment we’ll wheel her into her room and then after we run our normal tests on the baby, we’ll bring the baby in as well.”

            Jack’s chest felt tight, and when he looked over at Davey, Davey’s eyes were filled with tears.

            Before either of them thought to ask what the sex was, the nurse was gone.

            “We’ve got a baby,” Davey said and Jack nodded. Jack kissed Davey briefly before they all walked down to Sarah’s room.

            She was being wheeled in as they got there. She seemed tired but pretty happy overall.

            “You alright, Sarah?” Katherine asked and was immediately at her wife’s side.

            “I’m perfectly fine, Kitty,” Sarah said and kissed Katherine’s hand where it was clutching her own. “They said I’ll probably be pretty sore for a few weeks and I’ll have to keep my stretching down to a minimum, but I’m fine.” It seemed like only then she noticed her parents. “Mama, Papa?”

            “We’re here, מתוק אחד.” Meyer smiled at her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

            “You did well,” Ester said as she pushed Sarah’s hair from her eyes.

            “I did the easy part,” Sarah laughed, “ _David_ and Jack have the hard part.”

            “We’ll take the hard part,” Jack said with a grin.

            “Good,” Sarah grinned brightly. “They should be bringing him any minute.”

            “It’s a boy?” Davey asked.

            “Oh damn,” Sarah swore. “I was trying to keep it a surprise until you saw him. The pain meds are making me a little woozy.” Sarah rubbed her head with frown. “But yeah, you’ve got a little boy. Jack seems to be pretty good at making those.” Jack’s face went red as he rolled his eyes.

            “A boy,” Davey said and grinned, leaning into Jack’s side.

            “And look, there he is,” Sarah nodded toward the door where the nurse was bringing in their son in a rolling crib.

            “Hello everyone,” the nurse cooed softly. “Our little one here has had all his tests and he’s in perfect health. Where are our parents?” The nurse asked.

            Sarah pointed to Jack and Davey. “Those two right there. Our proud papas,” she teased.

            “Would you like to hold him?” The nurse asked.

            Davey looked at Jack and Jack gestured. “He’s your first, Dave. Go ahead.”

            Davey sucked in a breath as the nurse walked over. The nurse showed him how to cradle their son as she put him in Davey’s arms.

            “He’s perfect,” Davey said as he gently rocked side to side on his feet.

            Jack grinned and pulled out his phone to take a picture of Davey and their son.

            “Now,” the nurse said and picked up the clipboard attached to the rolling crib. “We’re gonna have to fill out some information.”

            “I’ll help wit’ that,” Jack said and he stood by Sarah’s bed as they filled out the baby’s birth certificate and social security information.

            “Do we have a name?” The nurse turned to include Davey in that question.

            “I think I do,” Davey said. He slowly walked over to Jack and said it quietly in Jack’s ear.

            Jack nodded. “I like that. We’ll put that down.” Jack filled the name into the proper lines and handed the paperwork back to their nurse. “Thank you.”

            “Enjoy,” the nurse said with a bright smile before she left.

            “Would you like to hold him, Jack?” Davey asked.

            “Definitely,” Jack said and they transferred the baby between Davey and Jack’s arms. Jack smiled down at his little boy.

            “He looks like you,” Davey said with a grin. “Got the same hair color and he’s got your nose.”

            “Poor kid if he turns out lookin’ like me,” Jack grinned. Their son had a full head of dark hair like Jack’s and his eyes were shut but Jack was sure they would turn dark like Sarah’s when he got a little older. Jack looked at the clock and smiled. In an hour or two the kids would get out of school and Jack would be able to introduce them to their new little brother.

…..

            Sarah was resting and the baby was sleeping when Spot brought the kids from school. Davey’s parents had left saying that they would keep in touch and that they’d love to meet Atticus, Benjy, and Lilabet sometime. So it was just Jack, Davey, Sarah, and Katherine when Spot and the kids poked their heads in.

            “Daddy! Dad!” The kids ran in and they bounced in front of Jack and Davey excitedly.

            “Where’s the baby?” Lilabet asked and she was practically vibrating.

            “He’s in the hospital nursery. He’s probably sleeping,” Jack said.

            “We’ve got a brother?” Benjy asked and he seemed really excited as well.

            “You do,” Davey confirmed as he smoothed Benjy’s hair down.

            “What’s his name?” Atticus asked.

            “It’s a little long,” Jack said.

            “Israel Kale Ezra Jacobs-Kelly,” Davey said and he and Jack grinned.

            “He’s got two middle names,” Lilabet said.

            “That he does,” Davey said and scooped her up into his lap.

            “It’s got a nice ring to it,” Spot said. “Kinda long for when you gotta yell at ‘im though.”

            “Maybe with this one we won’t have to as much,” Jack said. He snorted and shook his head. “But I doubt it.”

            Spot snorted. “Well, congrats guys. Hope Sarah feels alright,” he glanced over to where she was pretty much completely asleep and nodded at Katherine when she gave him a small wave. “I’m gonna go if you don’t need nothin’.”

            “No, we’re good,” Jack said and he let Benjy and Atticus crawl into his lap. Spot left then and Jack turned to the kids. “So, you wanna go take a peek at your baby brother?”

            “Yeah!”

…..

            “He’s that one right there,” Jack pointed. “The second row, third baby from the left. He’s the one with all the dark hair.”

            “He’s so small,” Atticus said as he all but pressed his nose to the glass with Jack lifting him up.

            “You were that small once. Actually,” Jack said now that he’d thought about it, “You and Lilabet were pro’ly smalle’ than that.”

            “Nuh-uh,” Atticus said.

            “Yeah-huh,” Jack countered and pressed a smacking kiss to his son’s cheek.

            “I remember, you were real small,” Benjy said and got on his tiptoes to peer at his new brother.

            “He’s pretty,” Lilabet said and grinned at Davey.

            “He is,” Davey said proudly.

            “When can we take ‘im home?” Benjy asked.

            “They’ve got a few things they need to keep a quick eye on before Israel can leave, but should be soon enough,” Jack said.

            “I hope so,” Atticus said.

…..

            “Davey, he’s fine,” Jack said as he carried Israel in his car seat outside. They’d gotten all the paperwork in order and the doctors had okayed that he go home.

            “Alright, alright, I’ll quite fussing,” Davey said.

            “No you won’t,” Jack teased and made sure that Benjy was still right behind him.

            “You’re right, I won’t.” Davey pulled a face at him and Jack just laughed. They got to the car, buckled Israel’s seat in and had Davey sit in the middle seats with Israel and Benjy while Atticus and Lilabet sat in the back row.

            “I feel like a chauffeur,” Jack muttered.

            “Home, James,” Davey teased and the kids laughed at that.

            “I’m gonna get you for that comment late’,” Jack warned as he started the car to drive home.

            “I’m not even sure I care,” Davey said. He seemed so happy as he and Benjy watched Israel in his car seat. “Gentle,” Davey said after they’d been in the car for a minute. Benjy was gently brushing his hand over Israel’s hair on his head.

            Jack couldn’t help the smile.

            Once they got home and got Israel inside, the kids all wanted a turn holding their baby brother.

            “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Jack said. “Before anyone holds Israel, yous’re gonna hafta have your homework done. No whinin’.” Jack gave them stern looks as they all started to protest. “Nope, no excuses kiddos. The less time you spend bellyachin’ the more time you can have sittin’ with Israel.”

            The kids all scrambled to get their homework.

            “Oh! Daddy, here.” Benjy held out the pictures he’d asked for the day before. They’d still been in his backpack.

            Jack took them from Benjy and smiled at the small photos.

            His life had changed so much within such a small amount of time. He’d gone from a harried single dad of three with little hope of having anything else in his life to being a happily committed dad of four with the world in front of him. He felt warm and content as he put the pictures back in his wallet and then picked up his new baby boy.

            “Hey,” Davey said and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of Israel’s head and then to the corner of Jack’s mouth. “What are you thinking about?” Davey asked.

            “Everythin’,” Jack said and he leaned in to kiss Davey again softly. “I love you.”

            “I love you too, Jack.” Davey smiled so brightly it made Jack’s chest feel fit to burst. “Now hand over my son.”

            “Our son,” Jack corrected as he transferred Israel into Davey’s arms.

            “Our son,” Davey agreed contentedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the last real chapter (though there will be an epilogue that I haven't quite determined what it will be about but it'll be about our lovelies of course) of the story and what a chapter it is (it ended up being 44 pages long on Word. HOLY MOLY). It has been such a ride to write this story and to read y'all's reactions to it. I've absolutely thrived on you all loving this story and it honestly motivated me to finish it!! Comment and give me epilogue ideas and tell me what you thought about the story!  
> Translations:  
> מתוק אחד = sweet one  
> -James


	25. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Israel's first birthday party

            “C’mere, lil’ man,” Jack grinned and lifted Israel from where he’d been playing on the floor. “It’s a big day, don’t ya know?” Jack pressed a smacking kiss to Israel’s cheek, making the boy shriek with laughter. “It’s your birthday, Iz.” Israel clapped and then moved to play with the chain around Jack’s neck. “Ah, ah, don’t tug on that. It’s our lil’ secret, remember?”

            It was Israel’s first birthday and Jack had a surprise for Davey. It had to do with the ring around Jack’s neck on a chain, and a small box wrapped in birthday paper that was tucked in his pocket.

            Jack hadn’t told any of the older kids about his plan, just in case any of them accidentally blurted something out, but since Israel couldn’t really talk other than to string little nonsense sentences together Jack figured it was safe to talk to him about it.

            “Da,” Israel said and gently tugged on the chain around Jack’s neck.

            “Yeah, that’s for your dad,” Jack said softly and took Israel’s hand away to press a kiss to his son’s palm. “Now let’s go and figure out what your dad’s up to? Hm? Probably drivin’ himself crazy.”

            “Yee!” Israel gurgled and Jack laughed as he carried the baby into the kitchen where Davey was frowning down at his party plan.

            “Hey, babe,” Jack said and leaned over to press a kiss to Davey’s neck. “What’s wrong?” He asked and tilted Davey’s chin up so they were looking at each other.

            “Nothing’s wrong,” Davey said though it wasn’t very convincing.

            “Dave,” Jack said and gave Davey a look that had Davey crumpling.

            “I just want everything to be perfect. It’s Israel’s first birthday.”

            “Listen,” Jack said and he shifted Israel as the boy squirmed to be closer to Davey. “He’s not gonna remember any of this. I know you want it to be perfect, but it ain’t gonna be perfect, none of ‘em are gonna be.” Jack kissed Davey chastely. “As long as Iz has cake and ice cream, he’ll be pretty happy.”

            Davey laughed and he nodded. “Well, we definitely have that for him.”

            “Good. Now take the birthday boy while I round up the other hoodlums that we’s got.” Jack kissed Davey again and then ruffled Israel’s hair. Jack headed upstairs and he grinned as he saw Benjy, Atticus, and Lilabet trying to wrap something on the floor of Benjy’s bedroom. “What’re yous up to?”

            “Nothin’!” they all protested and hid whatever it was behind their backs.

            “Alright. Well, everyone’s gonna be here soon, so your nothin’ better be quick,” Jack said and winked. “Yous gots ten minutes before me and DD want yous downstairs.”

            “We’ll be there,” Benjy said seriously as he and the others turned back to what they were wrapping up.

…..

            Jack was glad it was warm enough, and not raining, to have the party outside. Jack wasn’t sure all the people that were there would fit inside the house. All of Jack’s family and Davey’s were there for Israel’s birthday party. Jack and Davey were both running back and forth to get everyone settled and then to get drinks. Jack nearly tripped over Matteo and Israel but he just stepped over them and continued with whatever he was doing.

            Jack was relieved when everyone was finally there and they were getting ready to do cake and ice cream. It made his stomach knot up and his heart pound against his ribs because after that, Israel would open up his presents, including the one that was steadily feeling heavier in his pocket.

            They sang happy birthday and the kids helped Israel blow out his candles. Then it was time for presents.

            Jack made sure he was the one to set the presents in front of Israel. There were some books and clothes from Sarah, Katherine, and Davey’s parents, some games from Jack’s siblings and Miss Medda, and then Benjy was setting a sloppily wrapped present in front of Israel.

            “What’s this, B?” Jack asked as Israel tore at the paper.

            “Me, Beny and Elli made it,” Atticus said and pushed his glasses up on his nose.

            It was a decorated picture frame with a picture that Jack had taken of all the kids not too long after Israel came home from the hospital. Benjy, Atticus, and Lilabet had decorated it with stickers and markers and Benjy had written all their names in his shaky handwriting. Israel grinned and patted the picture with obvious delight.

            “It’s amazing,” Davey said as he looked it over. “We’ll put it up in Israel’s room.”

            “Ya!” Israel said and clapped. Davey scooped him up and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

            “He’s got one more thing to open,” Jack said and his voice shook a little. Davey frownd but Jack just reached into his pocket to take out the box in his pocket. “Here, Iz. Open it up.” Jack handed it over to his son nervously.

            Israel grinned toothily before he tore at the paper and held the box out to Davey. “Da, ‘pen!”

            Davey looked between Jack and Israel for a moment before he took the box from Israel’s hand and opened the box. Inside was a silver band and on the top of the box Jack had written _Marry me?_

Davey sucked in a shaky breath and looked over at Jack. “Are you serious?”

            “Would I’ve bought the ring if I wasn’t?” Jack asked and bit his lip. “I’m gonna need an answer, babe.”

            “We’ve got a baby, Jack. Of course,” Davey said and pulled Jack in by his shirt to kiss Jack soundly. Israel babbled to himself and then pushed at Davey’s cheek insistently. “I love you,” Davey laughed and he pressed another soft kiss to Jack’s mouth again.

            “I love you too,” Jack said softly.

            “Break it up!” Sarah shouted and Jack laughed outrightly.

…..

            Jack felt content when he and Davey finally fell into bed after cleaning up the party and getting the kids tucked into bed. He smiled and hooked his arm over Davey’s waist. “I’s real glad you said yes,” Jack said and grinned into Davey’s neck.

            “I wouldn’t have said anything else,” Davey said and Jack pulled back to look Davey in the face.

            “Good,” Jack said, “’cuz I dunno what I’d do without ya, Dave.”

            “Well, good thing you’re not going to have to find out,” Davey said and bumped his and Jack’s noses together.

            “But, that _does_ mean you’s gonna have to put up with _me_ ,” Jack said with a grin. Davey snorted.

            “What? Like it’s hard?” Davey asked in his best Elle Woods impression, which was in fact terrible. Jack burst into laughter and so did Davey.

            “We’ll just see, huh?”

            “Yes, we will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is shorter, but I just wanted to write this little vignette that I had in my mind. With that said, it's over. It's been such a fun time to write this and interacting with all of you in the process. It's sadly coming to a close but an open-ended one. I might revisit this -verse again just because I love it so much!! Comments are loved and tell me what you thought overall or come onto my tumblr, obvious-captain-rogers, and we'll talk about it!  
> -James


End file.
